Fire Emblem: The Hunger Games
by DarkieDucessa
Summary: Fifteen years after the Hero of Blue Flames defeated the Goddess of Order, the continent has been divided. A shining Human Capitol and the twelve districts of the Laguz, the Branded, and the Beorc who stood with them in the Dark Years. And then there are the Hunger Games. It is the year 224 of the Second Age, and the 224th Hunger Games are about to begin... (Yaoi in later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

_** PROLOGUE**_

_** TELLIUS.**_

_Once the name of the continent, now a country that rose up out of the ashes of war._

_ In the year 1968 of the First Age, the goddess Ashunera awoke to a brewing war between the races of the Beorc, children of wisdom, and the Laguz, children of strength. She and the ancient heron Lehran tried to act as mediators between the races, but her awakening only served to fuel the fires of the war...for what had once been Begnion was now a country of Laguz, and the religious Beorc of what had once been Crimea and Daein demanded that the other return the land of the Tower of Guidance to their rule. The Laguz refused, and despite Ashunera and Lehran's efforts, war was declared._

_ The years to follow were known as the Dark Years, when the entire continent clashed in a huge war of Beorc verses Laguz, far worse than anything the continent had ever seen. Even the Branded nation of the desert was swept into the conflict, fighting alongside the Laguz and the hundred or so Beorc who thought their brethren wrong. Blood was spilled across the continent._

_ For ten long years the wars raged, until Ashunera, in a fit of rage and pain and sadness, lost control of her power. After that... it was even worse. The disasters, the droughts, the storms and fires... the sea swallowed up what had once been Phoenicis and Kilvas, half the lush jungles of former Gallia, and even the ruins of Sienne and the Tower of Guidance—and after that, it drained again, leaving behind a continent almost twice the size of the old Tellius, and half of it a barren wasteland. When the Goddess finally regained control of herself, there was so little sustenance left that the Beorc and Laguz only fought now for survival._

_ And after another year of war and violence, where Lehran and Ashunera tried desperately to bring peace without success, there was one final battle between the Beorc army, and the Laguz and Branded and rebellious Beorc forces. The result was the new Tellius, a shining Capitol populated entirely by the victorious Beorc, arrogantly naming themselves the "Humans", which brought peace and prosperity to the war-torn continent. Ashunera and Lehran were taken as the figurehead leaders of this new country of Tellius, with the Goddess's powers vastly drained and the heron well on in his years. Ashunera herself disappeared, with Lehran declared the president of this new country._

_ With this peace came a strict new regime. The Laguz, Branded and Beorc who had lost were segregated into twelve districts, surrounding the Capitol. District 1 was home to the Black Dragon Laguz. District 2, the Lion Laguz. District 3; the Hawks. District 4; Ravens. 5; Red Dragons. 6; Wolves. 7; Herons. 8; Cats. 9; Tigers. 10; White Dragons. District 11; the Beorc who had turned against their brethren. And District 12. The cursed, the Branded, half-Beorc and half-Laguz._

_ And then there were the Hunger Games. The Games were created to be the reminder to the districts that the wars must never be repeated, that the Humans were superior and the Districts could only serve them, that any uprising wouldn't stand a chance, that they could only obey._

_ The rules were simple; Each year the various districts would offer up in tribute one young man and woman, between the specified ages of their race and district, to fight to the death in a Capitol-built arena. The last one standing became the victor._

_ It is now the year 224 of the Second Age. May the 8th. The day of the two hundred and twenty-fourth reaping has just dawned on District 11..._

_** CHAPTER ONE**_

_**I K E**_

It was cold when he awoke, the blue-haired boy propping himself up on one elbow as he sorted out his surroundings. For a bleary moment he searched for his sister, before spotting her curled up next to their mother in the other bed. He sighed slightly and glanced out the window—really just a hole in the wall—appraising the height of the sun. _Morning already?_ he thought wearily, pushing the tattered blanket off and sitting up.

His little sister seemed so quiet and pure as she slept, compared to the rest of the small, dirty shack where his family lived. _One speck of light amongst all the darkness that is our life. _He smiled grimly. _I'm such a poet._

The boy swung his legs off the bed and pulled his boots on. He'd worn them so much they'd molded to his feet. Grabbing the long strip of cloth on the side of the bed, he tied it around his head to hold his messy hair back, then grabbed his bag next to the table. Pulling on a shirt, he quietly left the house.

The dark streets of District 11 were usually filled with workers this time of day. Haggard, weary people, young and old, male and female, exhausted from the previous day's work, starving, scarred, wanting only to stumble back to bed. There were few in the lower town that did not have whip scars on their backs, the standard punishment for stealing food, despite that they were the ones who slaved all year to grow and harvest it. Today, however, the streets were empty, the doors and shutters closed and locked, for those who had them. It was reaping day, and as such everyone had the day off. Best to sleep in when you had the chance.

Surrounding District 11 was a fence. Chain link, threaded with open steel cables, about ten feet tall. Theoretically, it was intended to keep out the flesh-eaters that lived in the forests surrounding the lower two districts—wild dogs, bears, even the occasional feral laguz—but it was the common, if unspoken, theory around the district that it was more intended for keeping the beorc in.

It was supposed to be electrified 24/7, but due to the irregular bursts of electricity the poor district got—and the Peacekeepers' laziness—it was usually only on a few hours a day. Still, the boy had to pause and listen to make sure the fence wasn't humming, the sign that it was on. Currently it was silent. He didn't have to follow it far before he found the two-foot gap beneath the fence he usually crawled through. A few moments later he stood up on the other side and cautiously approached the forest.

Hidden in a tree hollow, right where he'd left them yesterday, were his three most precious possessions; a long dagger, a bow, and a sheath of arrows. He could legally be whipped or even executed for owning these weapons, but fortunately for him, the local Peacekeepers had a taste for meat. Despite the common tales of terrible flesh-eating monsters in the forests, there was also food, if you knew how to find it, and it was easy enough to bribe the Peacekeepers to turn a blind eye, at least when it came to this. It wasn't the most honest way to survive, but it had kept his family alive during the harsh winters. He tucked the dagger into his belt, slung the sheath over his shoulder, and quietly went deeper into the woods, stepping lightly to avoid making a racket.

She was already there. Waiting in their usual spot; a rock ledge just overlooking a valley. The flashing red lights of the fence of District 12 could just be seen far in the distance—the barriers of 11 and 12 were many miles apart, but the lights were just visible in the darker hours.

She turned and smiled brightly when she saw him approaching. "Ike! There you are!" she called happily, raising a hand to wave.

He smiled, cheerful in the way that only she could make him, and his pace quickened. "Hey, Mia."

She lunged forward to hug him and her smile widened. "Look what I found." she said playfully, pulling a loaf of bread from her bag. Bakery bread, not the hard dense loaves from their grain rations. Bread for special occasions.

Ike's eyes widened in shock. "Goddess. Is that real?"

"It'd better be," she replied sarcastically. "It cost me a squirrel. He must've been feeling sentimental today. Even wished me luck."

"Well, I guess we all feel a little closer today." Ike said with a slight shrug.

Mia laughed slightly, a bundle of tense and nervous energy. "I guess so!" She pulled out her own knife and sliced open the bread, both of them sitting down near the edge of the cliff. Ike noticed that despite her cheery attitude, her emerald eyes were slightly narrowed, and a worried crease stood out on her forehead. Her violet hair slid aside and Ike's eyes were drawn to the scars on her bare shoulders where the shirt had torn—scars of a failed attempt to steal food for her younger sister, Ilyana, who had some strange affliction that caused her to always be hungry. It was a curse in a district as poor as 11, the next-to-poorest district of Tellius, where the head Peacekeeper was all too willing to turn a blind eye and buy their food but was brutal if you flaunted too openly or got too careless. There were few in the lower town that didn't have scars of a public whipping. Ike had all too many himself.

The two of them settled in a nook in the rocks, overlooking the beautiful valley and quietly eating the bread. The sun had risen, and everything seemed to be glowing in its light. Iridescent fish in the rivers, greens and roots to gather, beautiful mountains to the north. District 11 was nestled at the foot of the mountains, in what had once been southern Crimea, and the land was very beautiful. Ike could only think how wonderful this day would be if it were a normal holiday, just him and Mia, spending the day hunting and gathering in the woods and valley. But instead, they both had to be in the square at one.

"We could do it, you know." Mia said suddenly, her face very serious. "Leave the district. Take off, live in the woods."

She'd said it last year. They hadn't considered it then. There were too many people they had to take care of—Mist, Ilyana, Mia's little brother Edward, their mothers—their fathers were both dead, Ike's having disappeared six years ago and Mia's having been executed for stealing—and there was no way they could escape and get away with it. They suspected that was what Ike's father had done, but they both knew it was impossible for them, for the same reason Ike's father probably hadn't come back for his wife and children; Too many others to protect.

"They'd catch us." Ike replied.

"Well, maybe not." she persisted.

"We wouldn't make it five miles." he said bluntly.

"Never mind." She sighed.

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Ike pulled out his knife and picked a stick off the ground, and absently began to whittle it. Mia ran her fingers through her hair and sharpened her own knife. Ike recalled the day he had met her...

_ ...They had both been twelve, having barely survived past reaping day. Neither of them knew each other, other than the occasional glance in school or the harvest. But Ike had been thinking of his father's lessons and decided to take a shot at hunting._

_ He was no good with the bow; that much was painfully obvious. He'd tried and failed to hit anything, but was persisting nonetheless when he heard a fairly high-pitched voice; "What are you doing?"_

_ He started violently and spun to face a skinny girl, about his age and a few inches shorter, her violet hair long and ragged. She was balancing almost literally on her toes, poised for flight, like a deer. He recognized her from school and relaxed. "I could ask you the same thing." he snapped, angry at being sneaked up on._

_ "Seeing you with the bow, I have the feeling we're up to the same thing." she replied, undaunted. "Finding food, right? Hunting, fishing, gathering... that sort of thing."_

_ "Yeah..."_

_ "Any luck?"_

_ "No. I don't even know how to use this thing."_

_ She had taken it and begun experimenting with the draw before he could react. "Not bad," she mused. "I prefer a knife, myself."_

_ "A knife?" he asked incredulously. "How can you hunt with a knife?"_

_ She tossed him the bow and pulled a long dagger out of the bag she was carrying. Then she threw it fifteen yards into a tree, the blade slamming hard and quivering in the bark. "Like that." she said with satisfaction._

_ He was impressed. "Can you actually hunt like that?"_

_ "Well...no."_

_ They both laughed. He asked her name._

_ "Mia Wayu." she said cheerily. "And you?"_

_ "Ike Greil."_

_ "Well, Ike, how about a deal? We help each other hunt, and split whatever we find fifty-fifty."_

_ "Deal."_

_ And from then on, they were friends..._

...And every year, every reaping day and Hunger games, they'd gotten closer to losing that friendship. Losing everything.

_I hate reaping day, _Ike thought again. _Hell, I hate the Hunger Games._ He suspected Mia was thinking the same thing.

After another few minutes, Mia said "Alright, you want to go hunting, gathering, or fishing?"

Ike shrugged. "Fishing?"

She stood up and slung the bow over her shoulder; technically it was Ike's bow, but she was better with it anyway. "Okay! Let's go."

Ike tossed the stick aside and got up as well.

The river was quiet and peaceful this time of day. The predators were off searching for other prey, which left Ike and Mia plenty of time to fish and gather. Mia took the bow and trotted down the river to a shallower part; she preferred bow fishing to the normal kind. Ike was more traditional. He tossed out his line, searched around for a few minutes until he found a good piece of wood, and settled down to whittle. It was a favourite hobby of his, not to mention his only hobby.

The hours seemed to pass quickly. Mia came back from upriver with half a dozen fish and several greens. "How'd you do?" she asked, dropping the fish next to her as she sat down near him.

He shrugged. "Half a dozen fish, and some strawberries."

She leaned over and examined the thing he was whittling. It was a little model of a bird, obviously based on the old pictures of Yune, the avian incarnation of the Chaos Goddess. "Wow, that's really good." she said.

He smiled faintly. "Thanks. I was modelling it after a pin I saw in the Hob the other day. Couldn't afford it, but it was a nice design."

Mia raised an eyebrow, then laughed slightly. "Oh, you mean this?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little gold pin, depicting Yune in flight and attached to the ring by its wingtips. Its head was twisted so that it appeared to be catching a little arrow in its beak.

Ike nodded. "Yeah, that's it." Then he frowned. "Wait, where'd you get that?"

She laughed again. "I saw you eyeing it, so I thought it would make a good late birthday present or something. It was a bit expensive, yeah, but I had extra that day." She reached over and grabbed his free hand, then pressed the pin into it, closing her hand over his. "Here. For luck."

His faint smile returned, and he offered her the wooden Yune. "You take this, then."

She accepted it with a cheerful smile. "And may the odds be ever in our favour."

An hour later, they split the day's earnings as they walked back to their homes. "Not bad." Ike said, counting out the gold coins as they walked. "Enough to manage another day or two, I suppose. But we'll still have to go out tomorrow."

"So long as we survive the reaping." Mia said seriously.

Ike had to acknowledge that. "True. Let's...just hope we get lucky, I suppose."

Mia's house was two blocks closer to the Hob than Ike's. Her mother, Lucia, was waiting outside the door. "There you are!" she said, her kind blue eyes slightly worried. "Come on. Ilyana and Edward already washed."

Mia walked over to her, and Ike nodded politely. "'Morning, Lucia."

She nodded too and smiled faintly. The two of them had a mutual respect for each other. So much to be on a first-name basis. "Good morning, Ike. Good luck during the reaping."

He nodded again, fingering the gold pin in his pocket. Mia glanced back as she entered the house. "Wear something nice."

"You too." Then he continued down the road as Mia and Lucia entered their house.

At home, Ike found that his mother and sister were ready to go. Elena was wearing a pale blue dress, and Mist had a pale yellow dress that went to her knees. Both belonged to his mother, saved from her younger days, when she'd been the local apothecary's daughter and well off for a citizen of District Eleven. That was before she'd married Ike's father and moved to the lower town...

Ike took a bath, scrubbing off the dirt and sweat from the woods. His mother had laid out a blue shirt and black jeans that had previously belonged to his father. Mist also insisted on washing his hair. He barely recognised himself in the mirror, without all the ordinary grime smudging his features.

"See, you really are handsome under all that muck." Mist said.

"Well, so are you. Er, pretty, I mean." he replied. She tried to smile, but she was too nervous. This was her third reaping, but with only three entries and no tesserae she was about as safe as she could be. Ike knew she was more worried about him—with twenty-four entries, stacked from the tesserae he'd been forced to take for the past six years to support them, he didn't have very good odds.

None of them had much of an appetite, so they just talked quietly and waited until noon. Then they went to the square, to the reaping. The square was one of the few places in District 11 that could be pleasant, but today, there was an air of grimness that couldn't be ignored. The camera crews perched on the rooftops like buzzards only added to that effect.

Ike watched as people filed in silently and signed in. The young ones were put in the back, the oldest in front. He watched Mist for as long as he could before she vanished behind the seventeen-year-old girls. His eyes met Mia's briefly, wearing a pale blue dress, and she flashed a quick smile. But the deadly seriousness of the situation caught up, and she looked away again.

She'd been supporting a family of four with tesserae since her first reaping. And she had to take two tesserae for her sister, due to her peculiar disorder. Mia's number was thirty-six today; the odds were not in her favour, not compared to most of the girls, certainly not compared at least to her fifteen-year-old sister with the minimum number of four.

The stage in front of the Justice Building had already been prepped for the reaping. Three chairs sat on it, as well as a podium and two large glass balls filled with slips of paper, one for the boys and one for the girls. Titania Kilroy, the mayor—her husband, the former mayor, having died last year, and she being voted in his place—sat in one of the chairs. She was a tall, beautiful woman with long red hair in a single braid, and it was also rumoured that she had been a victor of the Games some twenty years previously. The second chair was occupied by Aimee Larabel, District 11's escort, fresh from the Capitol with a fancy pink robe and waves of dark brown hair with dyed streaks of scarlet and sparkly pink threads woven through it. They murmured to each other and worriedly looked at the person sitting in the third chair—a red-haired man in his late twenties, asleep and slightly snoring, a half-empty bottle still dangling from his hand.

Just as the town clock struck one, Titania stepped up to the podium and began to read. It was the same every year, and Ike practically had it memorised. It was mandatory. She read the history of Tellius, the awakening of Ashunera and the Dark Years, the formation of the Capitol and the districts. How the humans and the Goddess had won the wars, defeating the laguz and the cursed Branded and the beorc—yes, the "beorc"! As if they were a different species than those same who ruled the Capitol! That part always outraged Ike the most; he subconsciously clenched his fists at the thought, even before Titania said the words.

Then Titania read the list of past District 11 victors. In the two hundred and twenty-four years after the Dark Years and the formation of Tellius and the Hunger Games, District 11 had had only ten victors. It was hard for simple, untrained beorc children to survive against the laguz, with their unique animal forms, and the naturally stronger Branded. Now, eight of the victors were dead. The ninth one, and 11's only female victor, was named Titania Tiamat. (Though Ike didn't know if she was the same person as their mayor. Titania Kilroy certainly didn't live in the Victor's Village, but for as long as Ike could remember, her family had never needed food.) And finally, their most recent victor, Shinon Gautier. The man in the third chair, who snorted in his sleep and fell out of it even as Titania read his name.

She looked a little embarrassed, so she quickly stepped back to give Aimee Larabel center stage. She trotted to the podium and gave her signature, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be _ever _in your favor!"

Ike sighed under his breath. _Just hurry it up._

Finally, it was time for the drawing. Aimee said "As usual... ladies first." and quickly crossed to the glass ball with the girls' names. She reached in, dug around in the ball for several agonisingly long moments, and finally pulled out a slip of paper. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

Aimee crossed back to the podium, unfolded the slip of paper, and read the name out in a clear voice.

"Mist Greil."

For a moment Ike's heart stopped.

Mist couldn't even move for a long moment. Aimee had to call for her to come up before she'd even move at all. She stepped forward, then paused, then moved slightly again. Ike bit his lip so hard he felt it pierce the skin, and now he knew it was bleeding, but he didn't care. Mist finally walked forward as the cameras all trained on her, and two Peacekeepers came forward to escort her to the stage.

Then; "I volunteer!"

Everybody turned to look. Mia had stepped out of the crowd and run to catch up with Mist, pushing past the two Peacekeepers that tried to stop her. "I volunteer as tribute!"

Ike had no idea what was going through her head at that moment, but as it was, he could have kissed her, killed her, and hugged her all at the same time. _She volunteered for..! But... now she's...how could..._ He was so confused he could barely think straight.

Mist stepped back into the crowd, her eyes teary, as Mia stepped forward. The older girl struggled to remain emotionless as she walked, but her eyes betrayed her nervous tension.

Aimee asked her name, and she gave it confidently. Ilyana was crying. Mia's brother and Lucia were shell-shocked, so to speak.

Then Aimee was walking to the boys' ball and before Ike could even register she had done so she was announcing a name.

"Edward Wayu."

The odds weren't in Ike's favour today. Or anyone's.

The boy couldn't even move as Ilyana completely broke down, sobbing on her mother's shoulder. Mia started violently, then tried hard not to react any further. Some boy gave Edward a nudge to move forward. The brunette stumbled forward towards the stage. Mia was on the verge of tears. He glanced back for a moment and saw Lucia, poor Lucia, normally so strong and controlled no matter what the world could throw at her. And she was crying.

_Oh Goddess!_ That was it for Ike. He would not allow his best friend's little brother to be thrown into the same cruel Games that she was now tangled up in, because of him, because she volunteered for _his_ sister. He wouldn't let her have to watch Edward die, let Lucia watch her children die in the Arena.

Before he had time to think, he was stepping forward to push Edward aside. "I volunteer!" he shouted.

The gathered crowd gasped collectively, and with good reason. There had never, in District 11 history, been two volunteers for the Hunger Games in the same year. In fact, there never had been any volunteers at all. It was irrational, it was stupid, and it meant that he could possibly end up being forced to kill his best friend. It was better than the alternative.

"Well... quite a dramatic turn of events." Aimee said. Shinon snorted behind her and she glanced back at him. He was awake now, and watching with a kind of dazed interest. She scoffed.

Then Mist caught up to Ike and grabbed his hand. "No! Ike! You can't! No!" she cried.

"Mist, let go." Ike said harshly. He didn't want to get upset. He wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing him upset, of marking him as a weakling. "Go back to Mom. It's going to be okay. Let go!"

Edward wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back, and Ilyana hugged her as she struggled and cried. "Thank you, Ike." Edward said, fighting to keep his voice steady. Ilyana was still crying. They pulled Mist back to Ike's mother and Lucia as the blue-haired boy stepped up on the stage.

"Bravo!" Aimee gushed. It was obvious that she was happy to finally have a little action in her district. "What's your name?"

"Ike Greil." he said, trying hard to remain emotionless.

"I bet my hat that was your sister there before. And that must have been our other volunteer's brother. Well, that's the spirit of the Games!" Aimee trilled, turning back to the crowd. "Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tributes!"

Not one person clapped. Ike and Mia stood unmoving as the crowd took part in the boldest form of dissent they could manage;

Silence. Which said they did not agree. They did not condone. All of this was wrong.

Ike fought to keep his face expressionless, but inside he felt like crying. He'd never felt like this before. He glanced at Mia and their eyes met for just a second. Then he felt even worse.

Because now, they would have to kill each other. Them, and the twenty-two other tributes that would be in the arena. Laguz tributes, naturally stronger and faster. Branded, again with the natural advantage. That was the punishment of the beorc who rebelled against the Capitol; their tributes faced a death sentence almost every year.

That's what fate awaited them. In Ike's mind, they were both as good as dead.


	2. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER TWO**_

_**IKE**_

The goodbyes after the reaping seemed too short. He instructed Mist and his mother on what to do after he was gone. He was badly worried for them. Mist made him promise to do his best to win, and he did.

Edward came to see him. He thanked Ike for volunteering in his place, and asked him to take care of Mia, if he could. It seemed like a strange request, considering that, in the end, only one of them could possibly make it out alive.

And much to his surprise, Titania Kilroy came to see him.

Before he could say anything, she spoke; "I know we haven't really met before, so I wanted to see you in person before you left."

"Did you know... _of_ me before?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I knew your father quite well, before he...disappeared. He was a good friend of mine, and so was Elena. My son... spoke of you often, as well."

Jason Kilroy had been reaped the previous year. He'd survived until day eight, when he was killed by the favored tribute, a hawk girl named Sofia, and so his death had been televised live through the whole thirty-four agonizing minutes of the hunt and kill. Ike had known Jason, before he was reaped. He'd been a nice boy, Ike's age, and one of his only friends. He couldn't imagine how terrible it must have been for her to watch him die.

"I'm...sorry." he said softly. He couldn't think of anything else he could say, either.

"It's all right." she replied. "What's done is done, and my grief won't change it." She stood up then, turning to leave. "Well...good luck, Ike."

"One question." he said suddenly.

She glanced back. "What?"

"Were you... in the Hunger Games?"

Titania paused, then nodded. "Yes. Twenty years ago. I was the District Eleven mentor for ten years before Shinon came along." She paused again, then added "I...I'll take care of Elena and Mist. Make sure they're eating. It's the least I can do, for... not being there before."

It was as a weight had been lifted off Ike's shoulders. "Thank you."

She nodded again, then left as the Peacekeepers came in again.

Ike disliked trains.

He only ever saw the trains that came at the end of autumn every year—the trains that took away the food they'd slaved away to grow and harvest but never got to taste—and the Tribute Train, the train that took away the innocent boys and girls for the Hunger Games. As such, trains represented the Capitol and all the darkness that Ike associated with it, so he naturally disliked them.

He had to admit, though; it was nice. A bedroom, bathroom, and dressing area, all to himself. He'd never had this kind of privacy or comfort before. Not that it made his situation any better, or changed his feelings about the Capitol, but at least when he lay down to try and sort out his emotions, it was on a clean and comfortable bed.

Ike had been lying there for awhile when he vaguely remembered Aimee Larabel saying something about dinner in an hour, before he came in here(about an hour ago). His mind was no clearer than it had been before, his thoughts still jumbled about Mia, about the Games, about Mist and his mother, about Edward and Lucia and Ilyana, about the crowd's silent protest, about Titania Kilroy. Everything was so confusing; it was literally an effort to force himself to get up.

There were drawers against the wall that he knew were filled with fine clothes, but at that moment he didn't feel like wearing anything Capitol-made. He went into his bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. His eyes were slightly red and shadowed—had he been crying? He hadn't noticed, if he had. He hoped it hadn't been on camera. Other than that, his hair was a mess and he realized that his headband was unraveling at the ends. With a reluctant sigh he pulled it off and tossed it aside, then went into the other room and dug through the drawers until he found a black shirt. He ripped off a good part of it and used that in place of his old headband. For a moment, he wondered what the Capitol attendants would think when they found that, though he didn't really care. He checked his pockets and pulled out the Yune pin; he paused for a moment before pinning it on his shirt. Then he left his room, walking carefully through the narrow rocking corridors to the dining car.

Mia and Aimee were already there. The escort greeted him in her usual cheery manner, but Mia was unusually quiet. Ike sensed she was angry, but he didn't want to talk about it in front of Aimee, so he was silent as he sat down.

"Where's Shinon?" Aimee asked cheerily.

"Drunk." Mia replied darkly. "Somewhere." Aimee was obviously relieved at his absence. Apparently she didn't like him much, despite having worked with him for the past ten years.

The dinner came in courses, and it was all Ike could do not to stuff himself. The food was much richer than anything he'd ever eaten before, and of course there was a lot more of it. To his surprise, though, Mia ate relatively little. After he'd finished, though, Ike guessed maybe she'd realized that this stuff was a bit _too _rich for them. He felt positively green.

They went into another compartment to watch the replay of the rest of the day's reapings. They found Shinon was already there, slouched against the wall half-asleep with an empty bottle next to him. Ike vaguely wondered if it was the same one from earlier. Aimee made a disgusted little noise and pointedly ignored him.

The program started, and the three of them settled down to watch. Ike watched carefully the faces of the boys and girls who would be their competition. He found himself feeling either sorry for them or visibly angry. The lions from District 2, for example, he disliked. The tall, powerful boy and the relatively thin but strong girl(he vaguely registered their names as Skrimir and Sakira) were both very obviously Career Tributes, or Careers—tributes who secretly and illegally trained for the Games all their lives, in one of the few districts where winning the Games was actually considered a feat of honor and glory. The District 7 herons, however, were quite the opposite. Both of them were pale and emaciated, and both looked terribly frightened. The white-winged girl—Leanne something—almost cried on the stage when she was reaped, and for good reason; Herons were the weakest of all the laguz, and usually died during the bloodbath on the first day. If being called in 11 was a death sentence, in 7 it was all the worse—sometimes the Careers even let them survive the bloodbath, simply so they could chase them down and kill them later, make it look better on camera. It was always horrid, gruesome, and tragic. _Poor girl_.

Only a few other faces and names stood out in his mind. A boy in District 1, Kurth—he looked young and small, but the black dragons came out ahead in the Games more often than not, since 1 was a Career district. A hawk boy, District 3, with a damaged wing. The District 4 raven girl, with green hair, beautiful black wings, and a sly smile as she volunteered; Vika Swift, a Career. The herons from 7, of course. They showed District 11; Mia volunteering for Mist and Ike rushing to volunteer for Edward, pushing the younger boy out of the way, Mist being dragged back, the silent protest. The commentators weren't quite sure what to say.

And then the most haunting and memorable reaping beside District 11; District 12. Lowest of the low; the cursed, the Branded. The girl's name they called was Kita Kadohl and she barely looked older than Mist, but this girl was even thinner, pale and drawn, her long dark blue hair shadowing her face as she stepped forward to take the stage. When the escort—a fairly young man with green hair, Sothe Deyan—called for volunteers, all that could be heard was the wind. Then, Sothe called a boy's name—some dark-haired teen who refused to look up—who had barely reached the foot of the stage when a raven-haired boy in the back stepped past him to volunteer. When they asked for his name, he gave it as Zelgius Kadohl. Ike realized he must be the girl's brother. The commentators said as much. He looked just a bit older than Ike himself, maybe eighteen or nineteen, though from the aging differences he was probably closer to twenty-five, and when he shook hands with Kita he didn't let go of hers, but stood by her protectively.

"Why'd he do that?" Aimee asked loudly as the program ended. "Volunteer, I mean."

"He wants to protect her." Mia said suddenly. Ike glanced at her curiously. "She's small, weak. He probably wants to keep her safe in the arena."

"Too late."

The three of them glanced over at Shinon. He was fully awake, sitting with his knees drawn up and his arms resting on them. "They're in the Hunger Games now. If they don't get to her first, he'll have to kill her."

"But... he wouldn't kill his own sister, would he?" Ike asked before he realized he was saying it.

Shinon laughed. "You never know what the half-breeds are up to." Then he got up and stretched, his eyes half-closed. "Now, I'm going to bed."

The three of them watched silently as he left the room. Then Aimee left as well, warning them to get some rest before tomorrow.

"Why?" Mia demanded as soon as the escort was out of the room.

"Why what?" Ike asked, slightly confused.

She put her hands on her hips. "Why did you volunteer?"

He paused. "I didn't want you to lose him. Or for Lucia and Ilyana to have to watch him die." When she was silent, he continued; "You know he would have died, Mia. He's only twelve—he's like that girl, Kita Kadohl. He wouldn't have lasted past the first day!"

"So it's better that you're the one to come, and be the one I'll have to kill?" she asked coldly.

"No..."

"So you plan on killing me."

"No! I—"

"He wouldn't have died, Ike. I would have kept him safe. Just like Zelgius Kadohl will protect his sister."

"Mia, you can't deny that—"

"Because believe me, Ike; there's only so far I would go in the Games. Family is too far. I... I'm glad Edward's safe, and I'm glad that Mist is safe, but don't you see? Now we're going to have to kill each other!"

"I won't!" Ike insisted. "But just think for a moment, Mia! Even if you'd managed to protect him until the end, one of you would still have had to die! And what about Lucia? Ilyana? What would have happened to them if they lost you _and _Edward?! What would it do to Lucia if she had to watch both of you die?"

She looked at him, her eyes sad. "That doesn't matter, Ike! Don't you see? If I don't win, they won't be able to hunt. Who'll teach them, huh? You? You could be dead on the first day, and me too. If that happens, Ilyana and Edward will have to take tesserae next year, and then it could very well be them in the arena next year. And now... because of you... Mist will have to take tesserae, too. You realize that, don't you? If you don't win, _she_ could very well be in the arena next year."

"The same thing applies to you! _You_ volunteered for Mist!"

"Yes! If I don't win, then Edward or Ilyana might be reaped. We both have something to lose now... both of us!" She choked slightly, trying not to cry. "And—and—how can I choose b-between you and them? H-how can I?" Then she fled before she broke down entirely.

Ike clenched his fists so hard his fingernails cut into his skin, leaving bloody scratches down his palm. It hurt, but far less than her words had, because she was completely right.

_** ZELGIUS**_

_ I have insomnia. Which is to say, I can't sleep._

_ It's always hard to sleep the night after reaping day. Usually one of the ones reaped is someone I'm familiar with—I knew just about all the boys that were reaping age a few years previously; some of the previous tributes were my friends. In recent years, I've lost almost all my friends, and have suffered insomnia merely because I hate the Hunger Games, hate that the Humans could do this, could force twenty-four innocent children to fight each other to the death and no one has any choice about it._

_ How ironic that I am a part of those Games now. That I can't sleep tonight because I am the reaped boy, the one who won't be coming back. And Kita, too... My poor little sister, barely eighteen years old...!_

_ I can't get used to the motion. There's either too much or too little, I don't know which. The train moves so quietly you can almost forget that you're actually moving, speeding towards the Capitol—the Human Capitol, where I'll be dressed up and polished for display, like a jewel, or a rare animal in a cage..._

_ Kita is silent next to me. We're so used to sharing a bed, having only one back home for the two of us for so many years, that she insisted on coming over to mine. I think she finds my presence as comforting as I find hers. She's asleep now, thank goodness; she'll need her rest in the days to come. I figure I'm not going to sleep anyway, though, so I swing my legs over the side and get up, quietly leaving the compartment._

_ The train is still maddeningly quiet, except for the light snores of Sothe Deyan from his room. In front of the large window on the side, however, there's a slim silhouette. I'm a bit surprised as I recognize her. "You're awake, too?" I ask._

_ Micaiah Deyan, victor of the 200th Hunger Games, the only living District 12 victor, and the wife of our escort, turns to regard me with sad golden eyes. "I was enjoying the moonlight." she replies quietly, trying to smile._

_ I walk forward to join her. It's odd to speak to a forty-six-year-old woman who looks younger than me and regard her as my mentor, but that's what she will be for the Games, at least in name. She's retained an elegant beauty about her despite her age, but that's only expected for a Branded with very evident draconic and heron blood. Her silver hair is a little disillusioning. "It is rather peaceful." I say. "To think that in less than a week, twenty-four relatively young boys and girls will be murdering each other for the Capitol's entertainment..."_

_ "It's best not to say such things." she warns, turning to look out the window again. The distant lights of District 6, home of the Wolves, can be seen in the distance. "You never know who could be listening."_

_ "Of course." I say._

_ We stand in silence for a moment. I find myself looking at the red mark on her right hand, the delicate intersecting streams that make up her Brand. It's actually kind of pretty, but almost everyone views any Brand as a mark of disgust. "Still..." she suddenly says._

_ "What?"_

_ "I cannot help but agree with you. The Capitol truly is a cruel master. Especially for those...like us."_

_ "Why are we called the cursed?" I ask, drawing a curious glance from Micaiah. "What is it about the Branded that makes all others scorn us, despise us?"_

_ "We scare them." she says. "We represent something they cannot even begin to understand. So they fear us, as they fear all that is unknown. They are all no different... the laguz, the beorc, the humans. But what can we do?"_

_ "I don't know." I say, looking back out the window. The city lights are an unnatural mark on the otherwise dark and foreboding night. "What _can_ we do?"_

_ "Nothing." she says. "Nothing at all but try to survive."_

_ "Like the Hunger Games."_

_ We stand in silence for a while longer. Until the lights of District 6 finally disappear._

_**IKE**_

The next morning, after a shower—a peculiar thing he'd never experienced before, like standing in rain but warmer and faster—Ike dressed in a black shirt and pants that had been laid out for him, then wandered down to the dining car.

The other three were already there. Aimee was sipping coffee and muttering darkly under her breath; Mia was wearing an outfit similar to his and making up for last night's restrained dinner; and Shinon was slumped on the table, sleeping in a puddle of spilled wine, which was probably the reason for Aimee's mood.

Ike sat down without invitation and was immediately served an enormous platter of food, most of which he couldn't identify. Despite that, he ate like he'd never see food again. It was a habit of his. Mia ate much more passively, breaking off bits of roll and dipping them into a drink Aimee called hot chocolate. She didn't speak, and when Ike tried to look her in the eye she'd noticeably averted her gaze. So he didn't speak either.

Ike started to feel ill again and finally pushed his plate away. Shinon snorted slightly and slumped further sideways, causing the chair to tip and spill him on the ground. Aimee wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Mia watched blankly as Shinon righted his chair and sat down again, pouring himself a new glass of liquor. "So... you're supposed to give up advice." she said slowly.

"Here's some advice. Stay alive." he said with an obvious lack of conviction, downing the glass in one gulp and falling forward on the table again. Aimee winced.

Ike was thoroughly disgusted. When their mentor absently reached for the bottle again, he reached over and knocked it over, shattering it on the expensive rug. Liquor soaked into the carpet and shards of glass went flying; a few somehow got his hands, drawing blood.

Aimee gasped. "That rug is worth more than your house!"

Shinon blankly glanced at it. "Look, you killed the rug. How nice." He casually reached over for another bottle.

Mia's arm shot forward and she grabbed his wrist, slamming it down on the table. Aimee gasped again. Mia braced herself for him to retaliate, but to her surprise he did nothing.

Shinon glanced back between the girl holding his wrist down and the boy with the bloody hands. The corner of his mouth twitched, almost in a smile. Then he shot a stern look at Mia and she released his arm. "All right. I'll make a deal with you." he said gruffly. "You don't interfere with my drinking, and I'll stay sober enough to help you. But you have to do exactly as I say."

"Fine." Ike replied, equally gruff.

"So help us!" Mia said eagerly. "When we get to the arena, is it best to—"

"First things first." Shinon interrupted. "In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station, and you'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You aren't going to like what they do to you, but don't resist."

"But—" Ike began.

"No buts. Don't resist." Then Shinon got up and left the car, the door swinging shut behind him. Aimee looked at the glass on the rug, horrified, and then darted out of the room after him.

Ike and Mia stood silently for a moment. Then Mia silently picked up a napkin from the table and offered it to him. He took it and wiped the blood from his hands while she used another napkin to dry off some of the blood that had dripped down his shirt. "Are we going to listen to him?" she asked quietly as she did so. The first time she'd spoken to him all morning.

"Do we have a choice?"

She shook her head, and when she spoke again her voice was hard and cold. "No. We don't."

Neither of them spoke for a long while. Ike tried to extract the glass from his hands, biting his tongue to avoid crying out. She went to the window and watched as the train entered the Capitol, as the crowds pointed up at them in excitement and the elaborate Capitol buildings flashed by.

"Ike?" Mia finally asked.

"Yes?" he replied.

"I... In the arena." she said hesitantly. "I won't... try to kill you. But I won't ally with you, either. Alright?"

He frowned slightly. "You won't try to kill me, but you won't ally with me. I don't understand."

"I promised your sister I wouldn't kill you." she said quietly. "And you volunteered to save my brother, and I... I am glad for that. But... I can't be your ally, because then it might come down to just us and then I would have to try to kill you. And I don't want that. Does that make sense?"

Ike nodded carefully. They felt the train slowing for the station. "I understand. For our siblings... we'll have a cease-fire. Deal?"

They shook hands on it as the train stopped. Mia didn't even notice the blood. "Deal."


	3. Chapter 3

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

_**IKE**_

After three long hours in the Remake Center with his prep team, Ike was tired and wishing that he hadn't listened to Shinon after all. He'd gone through the entire process of hosing and waxing and every unnecessary and embarrassing thing else, and he still hadn't even met his stylist. He was also quite convinced that his prep team were complete and total ditzes.

"Oh, you almost look _human _now!" Wil chirped in his Capitol accent, and they all laughed. Ike suppressed the urge to groan. He knew in their own strange way they were sincerely trying to help him, but they certainly weren't improving his impression of Capitol Humans.

"Right!" Florina agreed. "By the time Lyn is done with you, you'll look absolutely gorgeous!"

"Ooh! Let's go call her!" Ninian cried, and the three of them darted out of the room.

Ike slid his legs off the table, sat up, and stared blankly at the sterile white walls. If this Lyn person was as ridiculous as his prep team, with their strange hairdos, outfits, tattoos, piercings, and surgical enhancements, he would probably... well, he probably wouldn't do anything, really. He honestly believed he might scream or something, though.

Then the door opened and a young woman walked in, and Ike was taken aback by how normal she looked. Her simple ponytail appeared to be its natural shade of green without any embellishments, she wore a simple light blue dress, and the only self-alteration Ike saw was permanent turquoise eyeliner that accentuated her dark eyes. It was surprisingly attractive.

"Hello." she said, her voice calm and quiet with no hint of accent whatsoever. She offered him her hand. "I'm Lyndis. Call me Lyn."

He ventured an "Ike" and shook her hand.

She gave him an appraising look, apparently sizing him up. "Are you new?" Ike asked. He knew that he certainly hadn't seen her before on the Hunger Games program, and she was unlike any other stylist Ike had ever seen.

"Yes, this is my first year." Lyn replied.

"So they gave you District Eleven." Newcomers generally ended up with the least desirable districts, which were 11 and 12.

"I asked for District Eleven." Lyn stated flatly, not offering any further explanation.

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Finally, the young woman broached the subject she was really there for; "So, Ike, about your costume for the opening ceremonies. My son, Roy, is the stylist for your fellow tribute Mia." She paused. "As you know, it's customary to reflect the, er, _flavor_ of the district."

Ike nodded. For the opening ceremonies, you were supposed to wear something that suggested either your district's principal industry, or your district's race—occasionally both. District 8, Cat laguz and fishing. District 3, Hawks and transportation. For District 11, being the beorc district, their racial history was generally the same as the Capitol's, so their tributes generally wore something to do with their industry—agriculture. This was never pleasant, as there was only so much you could do with the farmer image. One year the tributes had been dressed as vegetables. There had also been a fruit year. It was usually dreadful and did nothing to win favor with the crowd. Ike prepared mentally for the worst. "Yeah, we're always farmers." he stated.

"Well usually, but I don't want to do that. I want them to remember you. Besides, everyone seems to forget about the other aspect of your district—the beorc themselves." Lyn said.

Ike hadn't seen that coming.

"So, rather than focus on the agriculture, we're going to focus on the beorc." the young woman continued. "I notice your name and appearance bears similarity to one of the greatest heroes of the First Age. Have you heard of the legendary Hero Ike?"

Of course he had. Who hadn't heard of the famous hero that had defeated Ashera, the Goddess of Order, over a thousand years ago? His mother said he was named for him. He was possibly even descended from him. Ike nodded.

"And what else do they call the Hero Ike? 'The Hero of Blue Flames.' You're not afraid of fire, are you, Ike?" Lyn saw the teen's incredulous expression and grinned.

A few hours later, Ike was dressed in what would probably be the most sensational(or the deadliest) costume in the opening ceremonies. Based on the old drawings and paintings of the Hero that Lyn had uncovered, he was wearing an elaborate old-fashioned outfit in theme with the "Hero Ike" idea. A blue tunic with yellow trimming, slit in the front and longer in the back; a frayed cape, red on the outside and tan on the inside; a red undershirt; white pants; boots that came up past his calves; fingerless leather gloves complete with bandages and wear; a half-breastplate and shoulder guard on his left shoulder; a belt with a second, smaller green one to hang the sword sheath from; a new black headband with green stitching and authentic fraying on the ends; and an old-fashioned sword made of real metal, styled after the common blades of the time. But it was the strange clear liquid he was painted on with which defined the costume, and which was his real concern. It was some kind of substance that Lyn planned to light on fire just before the District 11 chariot rolled into the streets. Ike wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't actually oil. It smelled the same.

"It's just a little synthetic fire that Roy came up with. You'll be perfectly safe." Lyn assured him. He wasn't convinced he wouldn't be perfectly roasted.

Ike was relieved when Mia finally showed up, dressed in a tight-fitting sleeveless orange shirt with a high collar and yellow lining, matching orange pads on her hips, a red under-tunic that came just down to the edge of the orange pads, black leggings coming up to just an inch below the tunic, brown leather boots, long fingerless black gloves with a bit of extra sleeve, a belt with a sword alike to Ike's in the sheath, and a white headband to hold back her loose hair. She also appeared to be wet with the strange substance. Roy and his team accompanied her, chattering excitedly about what a splash the two would make.

Mia quickly answered Ike's questioning gaze, the coldness in her voice briefly lost; "There was an old story Roy pulled out about a swordmaster that accompanied the Hero Ike, second only to him in skill with the blade, who traveled into the Tower of Guidance to fight Ashera with him. Or something like that. Named Mia, you see." Ike nodded understandingly.

They were taken down to the ground level of the Remake Center, which was basically a giant stable. The opening ceremonies were about to start, and pairs of tributes were being loaded onto their chariots(the horses were so well trained, they didn't need guidance). District 11's horses were bays. Lyn and Roy directed them onto the chariot, carefully arranging their positions and the drape of Ike's cape, before moving off to consult with each other.

"We're going to die." Mia whispered.

Ike nodded. "Maybe if we're lucky it'll rain before the worst of the damage. Or something."

He looked around curiously, taking in the other tributes. There were the herons of District 7, looking very elegant in beautiful white robes. Their district made luxury items for the Capitol. The two lions of District 2, both wearing tunics in gray and dark red tones, highlighting their scarlet hair and eyes. The red dragons of District 5, in peculiar costumes that were supposed to represent a tree. They were the lumber district, and they'd had the same terrible stylist for over fifty years. Ike actually felt kind of sorry for the dark-skinned girl, shyly fiddling with her leafy hat.

His wandering eyes came upon the District 12 chariot, and he nearly started. 12, being the Branded district and having coal as their industry, never seemed to be a favorite. Branded had no real racial ancestry of their own, and the baggy coal miner's getup was hardly attractive, so usually District 12 had some skimpy outfit with a headlamp that exaggerated their Brand. It was never pleasant.

This year, however, Ike was genuinely surprised, as it seemed that District 11 wasn't the only one trying something new in the parade this year. Zelgius Kadohl was wearing a mock-up of old-style Begnion armor, all black, with a red cape. Ike would've almost thought that District 12's stylist was copying Lyn and Roy—though it wasn't that uncommon to imitate First Age outfits, and now that he thought about it, "Zelgius" had been the name of a famous Begnion general around the time of the Hero Ike.

Kita Kadohl was wearing a slightly more traditional District 12 outfit—but only just. She wore a tight-fitting sleeveless black dress with a low cut in the front and straps that looped around her neck, and a red-black stole that hung loosely around her arms. Because she was turned so her back was to him, Ike could see that her dress was very low in the back, fully exposing the Brand on her upper back, near her left shoulder. It was in the shape of a bird, and actually very pretty, outlined just slightly with black makeup to make it stand out. The dress was tight around the hips, but the skirt loosened out as it fell to her ankles, hiding her feet entirely. It made her look a lot older, taller, and more mature than she probably was, which made Zelgius look even taller. She fidgeted slightly in the chariot, drawn by coal-black horses, and her brother put his hand on hers to steady her.

Zelgius glanced up slightly and his eyes met Ike's. They gazed at each other for a long moment before the Branded turned back to his sister, and Ike, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, turned around to look straight ahead.

"What was that about?" Mia asked quietly.

"Nothing." Ike replied, equally quiet. "District 12 looks pretty good this year." She nodded.

He suddenly heard the opening music begin, and the massive doors slowly creaked open, revealing the crowd-lined streets. District 1 went first, the pair looking beautiful in their silver and black tunics with shoulder cloaks of supposed black scales. 1 was the technology district, and home of the black dragons. Ike heard the crowd roaring outside; they were always favourites.

In what seemed like no time at all, the District 11 chariot was approaching the door, and Ike could see the light turning grey between the overcast sky and the evening hour. At the last minute, Roy appeared with what looked like a lighted torch. "Here we go!" he said, and before either of them could react he brushed them both with the torch, igniting the oil-like substance in a flash. Ike braced himself for the heat, but there was only a faint tickling sensation. He glanced down at himself and started when he realised he was on fire. _Blue _fire.

Roy grinned. "It works!" Then he backed out of the way, but Ike lost sight of him then, as he was looking at Mia.

"My Goddess." he said quietly. She was wreathed in blue fire around her arms, the fake flames spreading out behind her like wings, her face was lit up and shining in blue light, and she was dazzlingly beautiful. He vaguely wondered what he looked like. "You look like... like you're out of a legend."

She looked up at him and blushed slightly. "So do you. You're amazing!" Then she laughed nervously. "Look, I'm all sweaty now. Oh goddess."

Instinctively he reached over and gripped her hand to steady her. She sighed slightly in relief.

Then the chariot entered the street, and every head in the crowd was turned their way. Ike froze, but as the cheers started anew and the shouts of "District Eleven!" began, all the focus pulled away from the chariots ahead of them and all the initial alarm long gone, he began to feel more confident. When he caught sight of how he and Mia looked on a large television screen, he was floored by how breathtaking they looked. The blue fire highlighted them both in the fading twilight, and the wings of blue flames looked fantastically real. He lifted his chin a bit higher. Mia waved to the crowd, her smile not revealing any trace of the bitterness from yesterday. Ike didn't feel confident enough to wave at first, but after a few minutes—about the point when Mia actually blew a few kisses to the crowd—he consented to wave a bit. He could have sworn he heard several feminine squeals when he did.

The crowd was going nuts, showering them with flowers, shouting their names, their _first _names, which they'd bothered to find in the program. Someone tossed a red rose to Mia; she caught it, sniffed it delicately, and then blew a kiss in the general direction of the giver. A hundred hands reached up to catch it, as if it were a real and tangible thing, and she grinned and laughed. Ike smiled and this time he actually _saw_ several girls in the front squeal in excitement.

Their names were being called on all sides as they rode down the street. Ike realised that Lyn and Roy had given them a great advantage; no one would forget them, forget him. They would remember his look, his name. Ike; the boy of blue flames. His excitement built as, for the first time, he allowed himself a flicker of hope.

The twelve chariots filled the loop of the City Circle. Their horses pulled the chariot right up to the president's mansion, and they came to a halt. The music ended with a flourish and the blue fire went out abruptly.

The president of Tellius, a country dominated and ruled by the Humans, was, ironically, a heron. Lehran was the oldest living being alive besides the goddess Ashunera herself, and had been elected for his long-running experience and supposed good leadership. He was tall and elegant and still appearing relatively young(despite the rumours that he'd never allowed any kind of surgery on himself), but he was thin on the point of emaciated and very pale, with long black hair streaked with white and black wings that were starting to turn grey. He gave the official welcome from the balcony above them, and Ike noticed for the first time that he refused to meet their eyes when he did so. _He looks ill, _the teen thought pityingly. Then the chariots paraded around the circle one final time before disappearing into the Training Center.

The doors had hardly shut when Ike and Mia were engulfed by their prep teams, babbling praise. Ike glanced around and noticed several of the other tributes shooting him and Mia dirty looks. He noticed that the heron boy was one of the angry ones, while the girl heron, Leanne, seemed genuinely happy.

As the two of them were helped down from the chariot, Ike caught Zelgius' gaze again. The boy's eyes showed no malice, but only slight regret. Ike frowned slightly, not understanding, but the other boy just shook his head helplessly.

They were both distracted by a small moan from Kita. She didn't look very well, slightly bent over and very miserable. A woman, presumably one of their stylists, bent down next to her and held her hand sympathetically, while Zelgius put an arm around her shoulders protectively. As Ike watched, the others surrounding him momentarily forgotten, he saw Kita sink to one knee, and Zelgius smoothly pick her up bridal-style and leave the room, their stylists and prep teams right on their heels, talking worriedly amongst themselves.

Ike's frown deepened.

_** ZELGIUS**_

_ On the twelfth floor of the Training Center's tribute tower, less than an hour after the opening ceremonies... I sit on the bed in my quarters, still wearing my costume, anxiously waiting for Micaiah and Elincia to return. I've never seen Kita get so ill before so suddenly, and if that happens in the arena, or even during training..._

_ Kita's stylist, a fairly young blue-haired man named Geoffrey who's probably closer to my age than he thinks, and Sothe Deyan are also here, pacing nervously. They both know of Kita's condition, and are probably just as anxious as I am, if for different reasons._

_ Finally, the two women return. Geoffrey goes straight to his partner. "How is she?" he asks, his voice in unison with mine._

_ "She's fine." Elincia says. "She's sleeping now."_

_ "Is this going to happen again?" Sothe demands. "In the arena?"_

_ Micaiah shakes her head. "I think it'll pass. She'll be all right."_

_ "You're sure?" I ask anxiously, standing up._

_ "Yes." Elincia says comfortingly. "Relax. Sothe and Micaiah will make sure she starts out near to you, just in case."_

_ "I hope you're right." I say._

_ "Me too." she agrees. "Now, let's get you out of that armor."_

_ As Geoffrey and Elincia move behind me to start unfastening it, I ask Micaiah what my strategy would be in the arena if this happens to her again._

_ "Pick her up and run," she replies simply. "Get her out of there as fast as possible, if there's enemies there, and find somewhere safe for her to rest, if you can. That's... really all you _can_ do."_

_ If only that weren't true._

_**IKE**_

After dinner that evening, Ike found himself restless. He tossed and turned in the plush Capitol bed, but he couldn't get comfortable. He kept finding himself thinking about the District 12 tributes, Zelgius and Kita. Who were they? What were they like? What was the strange affliction Kita suffered after the opening ceremonies?

He needed somewhere to think. Somewhere peaceful, outside, and most of all, away from Capitol eyes and ears. He vaguely recalled Shinon mentioning something about being able to go on the roof. _That sounds good._ Getting out of bed, he found his black and red training uniform folded neatly on the dresser, with his Yune pin sitting right on top. He dressed quickly, leaving the pin where it was, and checked to see if the door was locked. It wasn't, so he went out into the hallway and quietly padded down to the elevator. It only took a few seconds for it to come down after he pushed the "call" button, and then he got in. There was a button just above "12" that said "Roof". He pushed it and the elevator shot up two floors in just a few seconds, the crystal door opening to a small dome-shaped room with a door leading outside. He stepped forward and pushed it open, almost sighing with relief as the cool night air hit him.

The view was great. The Capitol twinkled with lights of all colors. Many Capitol citizens were still awake, even at this time of night. In District 11, most of the people he knew would probably be in bed by now.

Ike walked around the dome to the other side, where there was a pleasant rooftop garden. A few colorful flower beds and potted trees, with wind chimes hanging from the branches, tinkling musically in the light breeze. He walked to a bench nearby and sat down, simply enjoying the air.

"Pleasant, isn't it?" a voice said quietly. Ike started and glanced around, before realizing that there was a boy sitting in the shadow of the dome, also wearing his training uniform, looking out at the view. The boy turned slightly and Ike started again when he realised it was Zelgius. "Good place to think without fear of being overheard." he remarked.

Ike nodded. He realised that this was actually the first time he'd seen the Branded boy close up without any makeup, and it startled him just how scarred the boy actually was. How he hadn't noticed before, he didn't know, but Zelgius had a long angry red scar across his right eye, several paler scars across his face, and some fading bruises as well. Besides those there were traces of scars or injuries all over his face, marring most of his features.

He realised he was staring and purposely averted his eyes. "Zelgius, right? I saw you in the reapings."

"As I did you. You're Ike." Zelgius replied. "And I saw you in the opening ceremonies. You looked quite... remarkable."

"You have my stylist, Lyn, to thank for that." Ike said, glancing back out at the twinkling lights of the Capitol. "You looked pretty good, too. Was that old Begnion armour you were wearing?"

"Yes. My stylist, Elincia, is quite old-fashioned, so to speak. Though I'm afraid you and your friend outshone us quite a bit."

"How's your sister?"

That made the other boy fall silent. Ike sensed he'd touched a delicate spot. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's understandable." Zelgius said quietly. "She's... fine."

Against his better judgement, Ike persisted the point; "What happened after the opening ceremonies earlier...?"

"Nothing!" The insistence in his voice only told Ike that something really was wrong with his sister. "She's fine...!"

"Alright." Ike said gently. "Why are you up here, anyway?"

A long pause. "I'm...worried about Kita." Zelgius finally said, ever so softly. "I want to protect her, but there's...never mind."

There was another long silence between them before Ike spoke; "Would you mind if I asked you a question?"

Zelgius thought for a moment, then replied "If I get one in return."

"Alright." Ike paused for just a second. "How old are you, really?"

"Twenty-six." the raven-haired boy answered without hesitation.

"What?" Ike asked incredulously. "Really?"

Zelgius nodded. "Didn't you know? In District Twelve, we're reaped from the ages of fourteen to twenty-six, based on the average physical age of a Branded during that time. It's like that in all the districts, so that all the tributes are in the same general age category. This year was my last reaping, in two respects."

"But you hardly look any older than eighteen!"

"That's kind of the point, Ike. As for my question..." He paused only briefly before asking "Why do the beorc call us cursed?"

Ike frowned. "What?"

"'_The cursed, the Branded; Lowest of the low.'_" Zelgius recited. "_Lost and abandoned; All forgotten and well so.' _I know the poems and disparaging terms you beorc and laguz and Humans make about us. Cursed, half-breed, sub-human—all these words are used to associate Branded by all the other races, to insult us, and I want to know; why? What have we ever done to you to elicit this?"

Ike realised that he seriously hadn't thought about it before. The lines that Zelgius had recited were well-known to Ike; they were the first four lines of a poem called "The Cursed" by some Capitol author, and it had been the first subject of reading he'd ever gotten in school. He'd learned to _read _by that poem. He suddenly realised he'd always associated the first two lines of that poem with the Branded. Hadn't he always thought of District 12 as "the cursed, the Branded, lowest of the low"? But he couldn't reason out why. He'd never felt any sort of hatred towards them, or personal dislike. He'd always ignored it when he heard the other kids talking about "sub-humans" or "half-breeds". "I... I don't know." he finally said. "I know the poem you recited, but only because it was the first thing I was taught to read in school. I think... it's been subliminally told to all the other districts, since we were children, until we forgot the real reason and just... hated."

"I see." Zelgius got up and walked back to the door into the dome. He seemed hurt. "Perhaps we can talk again some other time."

Ike suddenly felt the need to express himself. "I—I never thought of the Branded that way." he said, leaning forward, and he heard the real sincerity in his own voice. "Never consciously."

Zelgius paused at the door. "Thank you, Ike." he finally said softly, before going inside.

Ike sat back again, satisfied. _I'm glad I finally got to meet you... Zelgius Kadohl._

_** ZELGIUS**_

_ I wonder why my feelings on this matter are so strange... I think this quietly as I sit on the edge of Kita's bed, listening to her gentle breathing as I contemplate my meeting with the boy of blue flames. He's just another competitor. Someone else who will try to kill her..._

_ Dammit! I told myself not to get close to anyone! Just Kita, she's all that matters, keep her safe...like I promised Sydelle..._

_ I know that my promise will get harder to keep, as the days go by. As my feelings betray me, as I knew they inevitably would, as they always do..._


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER FOUR**_

_**IKE**_

The next morning, after breakfast, Ike and Mia talked with Shinon. They decided to be coached separately, so Ike had to wait outside for a few minutes while their mentor talked to Mia. When Shinon called him in again and asked him to describe his skills, he was a little hesitant.

"Well... uh..." Ike stammered, trying to think of how to tell him he could fight without revealing exactly how he'd learned. He didn't want to get anybody in trouble, after all.

Shinon seemed to sense this. "Just answer this; what weapons can you fight with? And you don't have to say how you learned, either."

That was a relief. "I know how to use a sword and I have some experience with bows." he answered honestly.

"Hmm..." Shinon appraised him for a minute. "You look fit enough, and I know you're fast...but of course, you've never had any _real_ experience with a blade." he stated. "The laguz will. The lions, blacks, ravens—they'll definitely know sword-work."

Districts 1, 2, and 4 were the Career districts, and the lions, black dragons, and ravens were almost always Careers. So of course, they would know how to use weapons.

In the Hunger Games, considering the inherent advantage—Transforming—laguz hold over the beorc and Branded, a rule had been installed in the arena to assist the other two races; as part of their pre-Games injections, laguz were given a limitation that restricted them to transforming for only fourteen hours total in the duration of the Games, or less, if the laguz wasn't strong enough to stay shifted. And less than that, even, considering that some laguz were known to use up to four hours just in the Cornucopia bloodbath, greatly cutting down their Transform time, as it was called. However, as a result of this, the laguz also trained in weapon fighting, which effectively removed any advantage the limitations had given the two lowest districts.

"I know." Ike said. "Any advice on that?"

"Practice." Shinon took another drink. "Spend your time learning something you don't know. Don't practice your best skill, though. Save it for the private training session." He paused. "One other thing. Get them to like you."

Ike started to protest, but Shinon cut him off; "It's not open for discussion! You're beorc and they're laguz, most of them anyway, which automatically makes you their first and easiest target. The less of them that want to kill you, and the more allies you can stick with until the near-end, the better. Now get out."

Though the training officially started at ten, Ike and Mia were the last ones to arrive. As soon as they joined the circle, the head trainer, a tall, athletic woman named Jill Fizzart, stepped up and began to explain the training schedule. They would be free to travel from station to station as they chose, per their mentor's instructions. Some of the stations taught survival skills, others fighting techniques. They were forbidden from engaging in combat with any of the other tributes, and laguz were forbidden from transforming, ever, unless in the specified laguz Transformation training station. There would be assistants on hand if anyone needed a training partner.

Ike's eyes couldn't help flitting to the other tributes. He noticed at once that he was taller than most of them, and he realized now that his lifestyle had given him an advantage over the more starved and emaciated tributes; he was strong and fit from years of hunting and working in the fields, and better fed than most of the others. The exceptions were the Careers; the lion girl was almost tall as him, the boy even taller; the two black dragons were a bit on the small side, but both were well-fed and would have an inherited strength that Ike had seen evidenced in the previous Games; the ravens were tall and thin, but he knew they would be incredibly fast and dexterous. His eyes passed over Kita—the poor girl still looked ill—and fixed on Zelgius' emerald orbs for a few moments before he kept looking. Once again, he noticed that Leanne seemed unusually cheerful, compared to the sober faces of the other tributes, many of which glared at Ike and Mia with contempt.

Finally, Jill finished and they were released. The Careers went straight to the fighting stations and wielded the most exotic weapons with ease; some of the other tributes went to shakily pick up their first weapons. Mia went straight to the knife station, apparently eager to practice her fairly underdeveloped skill.

Ike distantly wondered if he should join her when he noticed Zelgius and Kita quietly standing together alone, apparently unsure of what to do. Before he was thinking, he walked forward to join them. "I don't suppose you'd want to train with me." he said casually, causing the girl to jump. He offhandedly registered that Zelgius was actually a few inches taller than him.

The raven-haired boy turned to face him. "Perhaps I would." He glanced down at his sister(whom Ike now registered as being probably the smallest tribute here, over a foot shorter than Ike himself). "Ike, this is my sister, Kita. Kita, this is Ike. District Eleven."

"I know." she said quietly. "I saw you in the reapings."

He nodded. "I saw you, too. So... what do you want to do first?"

Zelgius glanced around. Sakira was hefting an axe to compare with Skrimir's while Kurth discussed a sword with the sword trainer; by contrast, Leanne was holding a bow and seemed unsure what to do with it, while the trainer tried to show both her and and the hawk boy how to hold it at the same time. "Suppose we tie some knots." he suggested.

Ike shrugged, and the three of them went to the rope station.

The next two days seemed to blur together in Ike's mind. He went with Zelgius and Kita from station to station, practicing various things from knot-tying to knife-throwing to camouflage to climbing to archery. He also spoke with them a lot, and though he sensed that they were both trying not to get close, they were more comfortable with him than the other tributes. He learned that they were most eminently hawk and heron Branded. He learned that Kita liked music and could sing(probably from that heron ancestry), and that Zelgius had taught her all the songs she knew, which he'd learned from his mother(though he never sang in front of Ike). He learned that Kita was actually eighteen years old—she was so much smaller and appeared so much younger than him, when she was actually older. He learned that they were orphans, their father having died in a mine accident and their mother passed away from starvation, illness, and heartbreak.

And finally... Leanne. He met her in the archery station; around two o'clock on the first day, he found himself shooting targets next to her, who was still trying to figure out how to hold the arrows properly. Something sparked inside him, and he walked over to her and showed her how to do it. He helped her stance and the way she drew it, and she fired and hit the target dead-center. It was a lucky shot, but her happy little cry made him smile in a way he hadn't since he'd left District 11.

She joined their small training group, and as the time passed he got to know her. She was the second-youngest of her family, just seventy-four years old, which Ike guessed was young for a heron. She was a little naïve and spoke her mind without really thinking about it, sometimes so fast her soft heron accent blurred together and it took Ike a minute or two to decipher what she'd said. But she was good-natured, kind, and almost always had a warm smile on her face. At the end of the first day, when the tributes split up to return to their quarters, she gave him a friendly peck on the cheek and laughed when he blushed. It made Ike smile again, and when he met Zelgius' eyes he saw that he was almost smiling too.

When Shinon asked at dinner on the second day if he'd gotten any 'friends'(read: allies), Ike didn't even have to think; "District Twelve. And Leanne Serenes."

Shinon did a facepalm. "The two half-breeds and the heron.._.great._ What about you, girl?"

Mia shrugged. "Not much...I have seen Zelgius practice. He's good, but Kita and Leanne... they're both liabilities. I'm guessing they'll die in the bloodbath."

Ike shot her a dark look. "No, they won't." he snapped. "Zelgius will protect Kita, and I'll be protecting Leanne. And besides, the girls aren't that bad. Leanne can use a bow, and Kita's pretty handy with camouflage."

"Then you take them." she said flatly. "I don't need allies anyway."

"Fine!" They glared at each other.

Shinon groaned. "Juust _great!"_

Ike wouldn't budge, though. As the second day wore on, and the four of them trained together, he found that he couldn't imagine going into the arena without them now.

He noticed at lunch on the second day that the Careers had already formed into the usual pack. All six tributes from 1, 2, and 4. The other tributes avoided them warily, but by the second day Ike noticed they were avoiding his group, too.

His group. Himself, Leanne, Kita, and Zelgius. He realized he was actually forming his own pack now, even if it consisted of fewer and weaker tributes than the Careers. But at least _these_ tributes were his friends.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ On the night of the second day, I go back up on the roof and think. Micaiah instructed me and Kita to get some friends—if anything, I'll need help to take care of Kita _and_ take out the other tributes—but the only people on my mental list are Leanne... and Ike._

_ The name goes through my head, over and over again. Ike. Ike. Ike. Why do I keep thinking about Ike? There are certainly other people I've seen who would serve as good, maybe better allies. People like the hawk boy, or maybe Volug, the wolf boy. People I consider minor acquaintances, but not friends. People I can deal with without my emotions playing tricks on me._

_ What is with me? I promised myself when I volunteered that I wouldn't allow my emotions to interfere with protecting Kita. I promised our mother that I would do anything to protect my sister. Kita... she's all I have left. I have to protect her. I have to!_

_ So why do I keep thinking about him? Ike, Ike, Ike..._

_ ...Maybe it's something in his name..._

_ The sound of footsteps startle me out of my reverie. I glance up to see Ike exit the dome and walk over next to me. "Mind if I join you?" he asks._

_ I shake my head. Again, even as Ike sits down beside me, resting his arms on his knees and leaning back casually, I feel my emotions getting stronger._

_ I notice he's wearing a pin. "What is that?" I ask quietly._

_ He glances down at it. "Oh, this?" He unpins it and offers it to me. "It's a Yune pin. My friend gave it to me, before I left."_

_ I take it and turn it over in my fingers. It's indeed a stylized Yune in flight, attached by its wingtips to the outer gold ring. "It's... pretty." I say, handing it back to him._

_ "Thanks." He pauses for a moment to pin it back on, then suddenly asks "What was your mentor's advice on training?"_

_ I glance at him, only a little suspicious. "Isn't that supposed to be a secret?"_

_ "Well, yes, but... I was just curious."_

_ I give in. "Micaiah told me to practice survival and to look for potential allies."_

_ "Really?" Ike laughs slightly. "That's what Shinon said, too." He pauses. "What do you think of Leanne Serenes?"_

_ "Leanne?" I only think for a moment. "As an ally?"_

_ Ike nods._

_ "She's not much of a fighter," I say. "But she's the best archer out of this year's tributes, I think. Why?"_

_ "Well... I was considering asking her to ally with me. In the Games." Ike says. "Shinon and Mia think it's a bad idea."_

_ I suddenly feel a slight stir of anger. I wonder why? "Don't go against your instincts." I say harshly. "Listen to yourself, not them. If you believe she can be a good help, or you just don't want to kill her, then ask her to join you."_

_ I pause then. Here I am, telling Ike to follow his instincts, while not following my own! But then again, I promised..._

_ "Zelgius..." Ike says quietly._

_ If I remain friends with this boy, it'll only hurt more when he dies later. He'll have to die. I know that. "Yes?"_

_ "I... I wanted to ask you something."_

_ I've endured... the pain of loss before. Maybe... it'll be worth it, just to know him. He's... he's a good man. I don't want to... "Go ahead."_

_ "...Would you be my ally, too? Join my team?"_

_ There. That's it. What do I say?_

_ Well... what else is there to say? I like him. I want to be his friend. No matter what that does to me, to us. I smile faintly, and it's not forced. "Our team, you mean?"_

_ Ike's face brightens. "Is that a yes?"_

_ I offer my hand. "Yes. That's a yes."_

_ He takes my hand and shakes it. "It's settled, then. Me, you, Kita, Leanne."_

_ "Even though... there is only one victor." I have to remind him of that, before we completely agreed to this._

_ Ike nods. "I know. When it comes down to it... then we'll have to split up again, probably, but until then, we're a team. A... a pack. Right?"_

_ "Right."_

_ Later, I realized...For the first time since Sydelle died, and I'd been left alone to care for my little sister... I think I felt happiness, right then. Real...happiness._

_**IKE**_

On the third day, the Gamemakers—twenty men and women in dark-toned clothes, who'd appeared early on the first day in their special viewing balcony—began to call the tributes out of lunch for their private sessions. District by district, the girl first, then the boy tribute. Of course, 11 and 12 are slated for last. Ike and his newly official allies—he'd asked Leanne and she'd happily agreed, and of course Kita was with Zelgius—lingered in the dining room, not quite sure what to do, so just talking nervously. When no one else wanted to talk, Leanne filled in the silence with questions.

It was around Vika's rather arrogant departure that the heron brought up galdrar. "I was also thinking of singing something," she said cheerfully, when speaking of what she planned to do in her session.

Ike frowned slightly. "Singing something? How will that help?"

She just laughed, and Zelgius quickly filled in; "Ike, have you ever heard of galdrar?"

"No."

"They're songs in the ancient tongue," Zelgius explained. "When sung by a heron, they can channel magical energies. A galdrar can restore an ally's strength, and also destroy an enemy's confidence."

"That makes no sense..." Ike muttered. "How can singing do that?"

"It's called seid magic." Leanne said. "We use it for all sorts of things in District 7, from keeping ourselves awake on night shifts to the Final Rites."

"Final Rites?" Ike asked. "What are those?"

"It's a galdr. We sing it at funerals." she replied. "We believe that it gives the spirit good luck and assists his or her passage on to the next life. It also involves flowers."

"Huh."

"I know a few of the words," Zelgius said quietly, drawing a glance from Leanne. "but not the whole song."

"Oh?" Leanne smiled slightly. "I'm surprised you know any. The herons are very secretive concerning galdrar, ever since the Dark Years... I can teach you, if you like."

Ike raised an eyebrow. "You're going to start singing?"

She laughed. "Of course not! The Final Rites can only be sung over a fallen friend, or so they say. It would be disrespectful to just sing it whenever. But I can teach you the words and tune."

Through the next five tribute sessions, Leanne put the three of them through a brief course on the ancient language. By the time her name was called, Ike had memorized both the Final Rites and a simple galdr she called the "Galdr of Rebirth."

When the heron's name came around, she got up from the table, not a hint of nervousness in her face or posture. "Shoot straight." Kita called as Leanne left. The heron shot back a smile before she left the room.

Zelgius put an arm around Kita's shoulders as the girl smiled weakly, and Ike realized it was probably the first time she'd spoken all day besides "Good morning."_ That's funny. I didn't even realize..._

The room was quiet when Leanne had left. Disturbingly quiet. Ike went over the galdrar in his head to pass the time.

District 8, then 9. District 10.

Ike's name was finally called. He, Zelgius, and Kita were the only ones left. Zelgius said something encouraging, but Ike hardly heard it; admittedly, he was more than a bit nervous.

He walked into the gymnasium and instantly knew he was in trouble. The Gamemakers had been here too long, sat through twenty other demonstrations, had too much wine. Wanted nothing more than to go home. Weren't even paying attention.

Still, he stuck to his plan. Walking over to the swordfighting station, he selected a sword who's weight felt good in his hands. It was one of the bigger ones, probably intended for a lion or dragon. He spun it in his wrist experimentally and frowned; the balance was off. He decided it would have to do. A quick glance told him they still weren't paying attention, so he called "Ike Greil." When a few of them glanced down at him, he added "District Eleven."

Ike test-swung it a bit more. The balance was much worse than he'd thought; it was hard to swing it accurately, and he accidentally dropped it, which made the Gamemakers laugh. Flushing angrily, he picked it up again, readjusted his grip, and got started on the practice routine that he and Mia had invented, back in District 11, when they were teaching themselves how to swordfight. Step forward, level the sword in a sort of salute. Right foot, swing down-left; swing down-right; spin right to swing horizontal right and left foot forward. The steps and swings came so naturally to him now, it probably made him look better than he actually was.

His brow furrowing slightly in concentration, he repeated the movements, but mirrored this time. Everything was harder with this terrible sword, but somehow he managed. Then he threw in an extra strike and used his momentum to propel himself backwards, landing in a crouch, his left hand balancing himself on the ground. He straightened slightly, ran forward a few steps to get the sword practice dummy in line, and leapt into the air. Doing an only slightly lopsided flip, he came down on the wooden dummy hard, the sword hitting so hard plastic went flying and the dummy split in half all the way to the lower torso, where the blade finally stopped. Then he jerked it sideways and kicked it, sending it sprawling in pieces. Ike flourished the heavy blade and threw it into the ground.

None of the Gamemakers were paying attention to him; most of them seemed more interested in a roast pig on the table. All of a sudden, Ike was furious. _My life might be on the line here, and I'm being upstaged by a... a frickin' dead pig...!?_

Pulling the sword out again and spinning it one final time, Ike caught it upright and threw it with all his strength. It spun vertically, ran through the apple in the pig's mouth, and slammed into the wall behind it. Pieces went flying as people jumped back and shouted in alarm. The blade embedded itself about a foot into the wall, still quivering from the sheer strength of the throw, and the apple fell to the ground in two neatly-cut halves. Some of the Gamemakers stared at Ike in disbelief.

He bowed slightly. "Thank you for your consideration." Then he spun and marched towards the exit without being dismissed.

Later, sitting on his bed, Ike was regretting his actions in the private session deeply. _Now you've done it! _he mentally screamed at himself. _You've ruined _everything_! What'll they do now? Arrest me? Execute me? Take away my family? Send Mother to prison and Mist to the community home? Oh, dammit! What were you _thinking!?

He was so flustered and confused, he could barely register anything around him. He did notice that he was holding his pin for some reason; he had no idea why, but he gripped it anyway, his fists clenched tightly in his lap, something of reality to hold on to.

He faintly heard a knock on the door and wondered who it was. Probably not Shinon, or Mia. Aimee, maybe. He didn't feel like talking to her right now—or really talking to anybody—so he ignored it. He closed his eyes and tried not to imagine what might happen to his sister now, because of his stupid actions.

He heard the door open—_Why didn't I lock that?_—and then it shut again. A few quiet footsteps. The bed creaked slightly as whoever it was sat down next to him. Ike felt a warm touch on his hands.

He opened his eyes and was surprised to see it was Zelgius who had come in. "I... didn't think tributes were allowed on other district's floors." he said softly.

"I don't think they are." the other boy replied quietly. "But it's not like they lock the doors or supervise the elevators."

"Why...why'd you come, then?" Ike asked.

"...You know how herons are." Zelgius said vaguely. "I... sensed you were upset. I wanted to see what was wrong. What happened?"

Ike sighed deeply and unclenched his fists, lightly putting a hand over Zelgius', the other one turning the pin over. "I—I threw a sword at the Gamemakers."

Zelgius raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes." Ike wouldn't meet his eyes.

The other boy laughed slightly. "No wonder they were so alert when I came in. I _thought_ I saw a hole in the wall. They must have been terrified I would throw something even bigger."

Ike found himself laughing slightly, too. Then he started laughing more. He couldn't help himself; after all the terrible thoughts he'd been thinking, he hadn't realized how humorous it really was. Zelgius started laughing too, and Ike felt all his tension draining away. "D-do you think they'll arrest me?" he finally asked, wiping a tear from his eye.

Zelgius shook his head, a barest hint of a smile on his face. For him, Ike knew that was the equivalent of a grin. "I doubt it. It'd be hard to replace you at this stage. And besides, they'd have to reveal what happened in the Training Center for it to have any worthwhile effect, but they can't do that, since it's supposed to be secret." He guessed Ike's next question and quickly added "Same thing goes for your family. They can't do anything, because it's secret."

Ike suddenly felt lighter and happier. He laughed again, remembering what they'd looked like. "Oh, Zelgius, you should've seen them. They were so—shocked, ridiculous—" His smile widened into a grin. "One started so badly he tripped and fell backward into a punch bowl."

Zelgius laughed and suddenly they were both cracking up again. In the back of Ike's mind, he vaguely wondered how he could go from anger and remorse to happiness and lightheartedness in just a minute's conversation. _Maybe it's him, _he thought.

He suddenly hugged Zelgius, causing the other boy to start. "Thanks, Zel." Ike said. "You've made me feel so much better. Thank you."

Zelgius' faint smile didn't fade, but his eyes were slightly pained. "It's getting late. I should probably sneak out before your escort come to get you for dinner. Or mine comes for me," he added as an afterthought.

Ike released him and leaned back, taking a deep breath. "You're probably right. Oh, good luck on the training scores."

Zelgius nodded. "You too." Then he quietly left, the door shutting almost silently behind him. Ike took another deep breath and felt himself relaxing.

_Thanks again, Zelgius, _he thought._ You're... such a good friend._

A few minutes later, Aimee tapped lightly on the door to call him to dinner. He felt cheerful enough as he went down to the dining room to hum the Galdr of Rebirth quietly to himself, mentally ignoring the fact that he would probably get the lowest score of the twenty-four.

Lyn and Roy were there, too. For a brief moment he wished they weren't, as if he would be disappointing them when they saw the ridiculously low score he was likely to get. Mia was a little downcast, but still chatted easily with Aimee and the stylists. Shinon actually wasn't drinking, which was a first, though he didn't say much. Ike didn't talk during the dinner either; in fact, the only sound he made was his quiet humming, which everybody politely ignored.

Around the main course, Shinon finally asked "All right, enough small talk; just how bad were you today?"

"It didn't really matter by the time I got there." Mia said quickly. "A few of them were singing and the few that were sober were too disgusted by their companions to pay much attention. I threw some knives and did a few sword routines before they told me I could go."

"And what about you?" he asked.

Ike shrugged and casually replied "I threw a sword at the Gamemakers."

Everyone stopped eating. "You _what_?" Aimee demanded, horrified.

"I threw a sword at them." Ike repeated defiantly. "Not exactly at them, I guess, but in their direction. I was just mad, because they were ignoring me."

"And... what did they say after that?" Lyn asked carefully.

"Nothing. I left then." the teen replied flatly.

Mia and Aimee both looked incredulous. Lyn looked faintly surprised. Roy was baffled.

Shinon's face was impassive, but the corner of his mouth twitched in a smile. "What—what'd they do when you threw the sword?"

"Um... well, they looked pretty ridiculous." Ike said.

"Oh." Abruptly he laughed. "Did you say anything after..?"  
"'Thank you for your consideration.'"

"Thank you for...!" Shinon cracked up. "Genius!" Roy and Mia both started laughing, and Lyn was suppressing a smile.

Aimee was fairly shocked. "Well, I don't think we're going to find this funny if the Gamemakers decide to take it out—"

"On who? On him?" Shinon asked. "On her? They already have." He looked back at Ike. "I would've given anything to see it."

Roy and Mia dissolved into giggles and Lyn disguised her laugh as a cough. Aimee looked a bit offended. It was all Ike could do not to grin.

After dinner, they went to the sitting room to watch the scores announced on television. Most of them, anyway; Shinon stayed behind in the dining room.

"Why?" Mia demanded. "Don't you want to know our scores?"

"You can tell me later." he replied flatly. "I'm... not going to watch. I'll have a... a drink or something."

Aimee started lecturing him on his 'duty as a mentor,' but he was already drinking. Ike sighed for a lost cause and followed Lyn and Roy into the sitting room, where it was just starting.

First they showed a picture of the tribute, then their score was read aloud. Naturally, the Careers were all in the eight-ten range. The lion girl pulled an eleven—that was surprising, even though she was a Career tribute; she certainly didn't look impressive enough to elicit that score, not next to her male counterpart(who got a ten). Most of the others averaged five or six. Ike noted that the Volug, the wolf boy, pulled a ten; he would be someone to watch out for. The District 7 boy had a four; pretty normal for a heron. But Leanne got a surprising seven, which must've been record high for her district. Ike felt strangely proud of her.

District 11 finally came. Mia got an eight, so someone must've been paying attention. That, or someone was taking pity on her. Then they read Ike's score.

Eleven.

Aimee squealed and suddenly everyone seemed to be cheering and congratulating him. Ike was mostly confused. "How—I thought they—what?"

"They liked your temper, I suppose." Lyn said thoughtfully. "They need some players with some heat."

Ike was so caught up in his surprise he almost missed the District 12 scores. Kita pulled a six; Ike hoped she hadn't gotten ill in her session. Then Zelgius' face came up on screen and they read his score. Eleven.

Mia and Shinon were the only ones still paying attention. "What—eleven _again!?"_ she yelped. "Has that ever happened before?"

"Not to my knowledge." Shinon replied, frowning deeply. "Unless they were Careers. But two elevens, from the lowest two districts—that's got to be a first."

Ike didn't even speak. He was both happy for Zelgius and also sympathetic—this meant that they would both be targeted by the Careers, and that would make it harder on Leanne and Kita. The game was getting dangerous.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ Eleven. How did I get an eleven? My mind spins as I lie in bed that night. I know I should be sleeping, but my thoughts are too distracting to focus on anything else._

_ None of the others could figure it out, either. I showed the Gamemakers what little blade skill I had, but surely _that_ wasn't enough to elicit an eleven? Sothe doesn't think so. Elincia does, but I think she's just trying to be encouraging._

_ Maybe they were still distracted by Ike's stunt. Maybe they got some of my demonstration confused with Kita's and forgot some of hers, and that's why hers was so much lower. It's strange..._

_ Kita rolls over to lie on her back, opening her eyes. I think she senses my worry; only natural, I suppose. "What's wrong?" she asks._

_ "I was just thinking," I say. "How did I get an eleven? I don't think my skills are good enough to elicit that, especially compared to the Careers."_

_ She pauses before answering; "You must have impressed them. Perhaps they saw something in you like what they saw in Ike, to give him an eleven as well." Her voice lowers, "You certainly were better than me."_

_ I reach down and clench her hand tightly. "Don't say that," I say quietly. "Trust in yourself or you won't have reason to."_

_ She sighs slightly. "That old philosophy again? I thought you'd given up trying to drill those sayings into my head."_

_ I stiffen. "They aren't just sayings; it's true."_

_ I sense she's laughing inwardly. "As you say," she replies, before rolling over to nestle up against me. I put an arm over her shoulders and try to banish my thoughts from my head, to clear my mind so I can rest, but it's impossible. I'm so tired, but I cannot sleep at all from these thoughts..._

_ I hate losing control of my emotions._

_ I hate the Hunger Games._

_ I hate my insomnia._


	5. Chapter 5

_**CHAPTER FIVE**_

_**IKE**_

Ike woke up with a slight feeling of dread. Tomorrow night, he knew, would be the televised interviews. He hated speaking in public—well, he disliked it at least, especially if it was going to be for the Capitol audience. But the whole day today would probably be devoted to readying for it.

He took a quick shower before going down to breakfast. Shinon informed him that he and Mia would each have four hours with Aimee for presentation and four with him for content. Mia would start with Aimee; Ike would start with Shinon.

After breakfast, he and Shinon went into the sitting room. His mentor directed him to the couch, and after a while of just staring and frowning, they started discussing what Ike's approach would be. They had a few problems almost straight off. Ike already disliked public speaking, and with Shinon playing the interviewer, he couldn't think clearly. Unwillingly, he got angry at himself. _Why am I trying to please people I hate?_ By the end he was literally spitting out answers.

So Shinon tried other angles. More problems presented themselves. Ike couldn't lie very good. It was clear without even trying that he couldn't gush. He wasn't arrogant enough for cocky. He wasn't particularly witty, mysterious, or funny. He was undeniably handsome (though he did try to deny it) but he had no idea how to 'play' sexy, as Shinon put it, so that was out too. Ferocity just didn't work for him—apparently, he was too 'nice.' By the end of the session, Shinon was drinking and Ike felt like he was no one at all.

"I give up." Shinon finally said, his voice thick and slurred. "Just answer the questions and don't let Os—" He choked on the name for a moment, before continuing; "Don't let the _audience..._ see how much you despise them."

Ike felt a bit sorry for Mia, who had to go in to Shinon right after him. Their mentor wouldn't be easy to deal with when he was drunk.

After that was four hours of presentation with Aimee, which, in Ike's opinion, were inherently worse. Most of it was spent her instructing him on sitting, posture, eye contact, hand gestures, and a dozen other things Ike could hardly remember. Smiling was the worse. Aimee made him say a hundred phrases starting with a smile, while smiling, or ending with a smile. Ike didn't mind smiling normally, but this was too much. By dinner, the muscles in his cheeks were twitching from overuse.

He had dinner alone in his room. He forced himself to eat a little, because he knew he would need it later in the arena, but he just didn't feel hungry.

Then Zelgius sneaked in again, just to talk. They spoke about the tribute scores mostly; neither of them could understand how they'd gotten such high scores. Ike found it easier to eat when Zelgius was with him.

The raven-haired boy left and Ike fell asleep. His dreams were filled with smiling Aimees and drunken Shinons. He didn't sleep well.

The next day belonged to Lyn. Ike's prep team worked on him till late afternoon, covering up his scars, making his skin slightly lighter and his hair more vibrant, stenciling very specific scars and scuffs and dirt patterns on his face and arms. The room walls were covered with old paintings and drawings of the Hero Ike and the prep team devoted their time to making him look like almost an exact replica of the ancient hero, his living clone, and then drawing his defining features back out again.

Then Lyn arrived with his outfit, and it took almost half an hour to put it all on just right. It was fairly similar to the outfit in the opening ceremonies, but this one was more blue and green-themed, and made of finer fabrics. Ike recognized it immediately; it was the more regal outfit the hero had worn when the legendary Queen Elincia had made him a noble.

When he looked in the mirror, Ike nearly started. The perfect touch up of the makeup, the fake scars, and the drawing out of his real ones and real features—combined with the outfit, which was a perfect replica of six-hundred First Age Crimean lord styles and almost identical to the pictures—had made him someone who was utterly recognizable, and completely unforgettable. Lyn had turned him into the Hero.

The prep team _oohed _and _aahed_ as Ike couldn't help but stare at himself in surprise. "Perfect." Lyn breathed. Ike had to agree.

Lyn dismissed the team and had Ike move around a bit, making sure everything was flexible and looked the way it was supposed to. "All ready for the interview then?" she asked.

Ike saw by his expression that she'd been talking to Shinon. "Not really." he admitted. "No matter what we tried, I just couldn't be one of those people Shinon wants me to be."

Lyn paused. "Why don't you just be yourself?"

"Well that's no good. He said I was hostile and bitter."

"That's only around him." Lyn smiled faintly. "I don't think you are. The prep team adores you. You won over the Gamemakers. The Capitol citizens can't stop talking about you. You even became friends with Zelgius Kadohl, who is possibly the least friendly boy I've ever seen. Not on purpose," she quickly added when Ike started to protest. "But he hardly speaks to anyone unless he has to, certainly not to any of the other tributes. You must've noticed _that_."

Ike frowned slightly. "That's just because he's...bitter, about the treatment the Branded get by everyone else." he said defensively.

"There!" Lyn said with a small grin. "Who else would've known that but his one and only friend?"

"His sister..."

"Look, just try this." she said, slightly exasperated. "When you're asked a question, just look in the audience. I'll be there, and just pretend you're talking to me and answer as honestly as possible."

"Even if what I think is...?"

"Especially then. You'll try it?"

Ike nodded. It was a plan, at least.

The interviews would take place in the big stadium, where all the Games interviews were held. Too soon it was time to go. Mia looked striking in a beautiful sleeveless red-orange dress with blue fire designs stenciled on her fingernails and shoulders, hiding the old lash scars. Apparently the blue flames thing was still ongoing for her as well. Aimee thought Ike looked dashing and heroic, while Shinon was slightly dizzy and got Mia confused with Lyn. _Probably still drunk, _Ike thought bitterly.

After a brief wait, the twenty-four tributes finally got backstage. Ike looked at a TV screen and got his first glimpse at just how huge the crowd was, and his heart started pounding with nervous tension. _Good Goddess, look at all those people...! I can't go up in front of all them...! _He forced himself to remain calm and controlled on the outside, but his mind was reeling.

Oscar Osûka, the man who had hosted the interviews and been a commentator and announcer for the Games ever since 215 S.A(replacing the old announcer, who had retired), came up onto the stage. It was a little scary because Ike knew he was actually in his mid-thirties, but due to the surgery in the Capitol, used to make people appear younger and thinner, he looked exactly the same as he had ten years ago, when he'd first started. He was also different than his predecessor in that, like Lyn, he hadn't allowed any kind of self-altercations except for the mandatory age-adjustment. He didn't even wear glasses so he didn't have to squint, though Ike suspected that was more of a "trademark"-type thing. Ike actually liked him a bit, since he usually tried to help out the tributes during their interviews(another something he did better than his predecessor). Tributes seemed to find it easy to get comfortable around him, which was probably why he had the job. Oscar warmed up the audience a bit before beginning.

Each interview lasted only three minutes. Then a buzzer went off and the next tribute was up. Ike stood straight like Aimee had showed him and blankly watched the screen as the tributes left and the districts went by. Everyone seemed to have an angle. Skrimir Gaul from District 2 was a ruthless killing machine, while his female counterpart, Sakira Elle, was sexy and dangerous. Vika of 4 was sly and elusive, while Volug from District 6 was solitary and hostile, ignoring Oscar's attempts at banter and answering his questions with a "Yes" or "No". (For some reason, his outfit didn't include a shirt; perhaps that was one of the reasons why he was so hostile. Ike certainly would have been embarrassed if he were in the wolf's situation. He wondered vaguely if Volug was playing 'sexy'.)

Leanne was finally called. She was wearing a beautiful white gown that shimmered as she walked, and her skin was lightly dusted with some sort of powder that made it glitter like gold. A hush fell over the crowd at the sight of this beautiful and angelic young tribute. Oscar was very sweet with her, complimenting her seven in training, which really had been a record for District 7 apparently. He asked a few questions and mostly let her talk; she spoke so fast with her delicate accent that some of her answers were hard to catch, but to Ike at least she came across as slightly childish, innocent and charming. When Oscar asked her what her strategy in the arena would be, she replied "Well, probably running away really fast. Or flying away, whichever." There was a small laugh around the crowd, and she continued; "No, I think... I'm going to stay with my allies, help them, run when I need to, and hope for the best."

Ike felt his heart pang. Of course, all alliances were eventually broken. What could he really do to protect her, in the end?

More districts went by. 8, 9, 10.

Mia's name was called and she went up on stage. She was a bit overenthusiastic but was still very cheerful and easygoing. She was a bit sad, but it only showed when Oscar asked her about her family. Ike's mind sort of turned off at that point.

Then it was Ike's turn and he numbly went onstage, following Oscar's introduction. He shook Oscar's hand and the man had the good grace not to immediately wipe it off.

His head was pounding as they both sat down and he hardly heard Oscar's first question; "So, that entrance you made in the opening ceremonies," the man said confidentially. "That was really something."

Ike's mouth tasted like sawdust. He desperately searched the crowd for a moment, looking for Lyn. He finally found her next to Roy and Aimee in the District 11 team section; he vaguely registered that Shinon was absent, but he didn't think about that. _Be honest,_ he remembered. "Um... I was mostly hoping I wouldn't burn to death."

Oscar laughed, and some of the crowd joined in. Ike, encouraged, continued; "I mean, sure they _said_ it was safe, but Roy—Mia's stylist—came up with it, and he's a little too enthusiastic, if you know what I mean..."

A big laugh, then. A real one from the audience. Maybe Mia had mentioned Roy's enthusiasm as well.

"Other than that, well...what can I say? They did great. And Mia looked amazing, so I'll assume I looked pretty good too, though I'm sure she was much better."

Some of the audience laughed applauded, shouted to him encouragingly. One girl in the front even yelled "I love you, Ike!" He blinked in surprise; apparently his expression must've changed humorously because Oscar and several people in the crowd laughed again.

"I have one other question." Oscar said, his mood noticeably subdued. "We were all very moved, I think, when you volunteered for your friend's brother at the reaping. Can you tell us about that?"

_No. Not all of you... _"Well... it was... Edward's only twelve years old, you know." Ike said quietly. "He—Mia and him and their family are some of the only people I really trust. I've known them since my first reaping... and the thought of forcing Mia to fight against, even kill her own brother, or vice versa... I couldn't do that to them. And... and I suppose I owed Mia, too. Because she'd just volunteered for Mist. My sister."

You could hear a pin drop in the audience now. "And... what about her? Your sister?" Oscar asked. "Did she come to see you, after the reaping?"

"Yes." His voice was much more subdued now.

"What did she say to you?"

Ike took a deep breath. _Focus. Focus on Lyn... on Zelgius... _"She asked me to try my best to win."

The audience was frozen, hanging on his every word. "I promised her I would." Ike finally said, and he could've sworn his voice dropped an octave. "And I keep my promises."

"I'll bet you do." Oscar said.

The applause continued long after Ike had retreated backstage. He glanced over at Zelgius and caught a subtle smile.

Ike was slightly dazed and missed most of Kita's interview. She was wearing a beautiful black dress with no back(again), and her hair was parted around to the front and side so her Brand was shown when she turned. He noticed she'd gained a little weight, which was definitely a good thing. For the most part, he registered her as cautious, sad, and a little mysterious. He was coming back into focus just when Oscar asked her about the rumors of her ill health.

She hesitated, then nodded slightly.

"Oh, that's a shame." Oscar said, giving her a small pat on the shoulder. "Will it cause any problems for you in the Games?"

"No, it's... just a slight fever or something. I'll be well enough for the arena, so... don't count me out."

"I wouldn't in a million years." Oscar said encouragingly, standing up and taking her hand. "Kita Kadohl."

There was a generous round of applause as Kita retreated and Zelgius was called forward. He was also wearing a fairly old-style outfit, black and red. The teen sort of zoned out again as the interview began, but he registered a few things. The two of them got along fairly well, and though Zelgius seemed a little hesitant at first he warmed up to Oscar very quickly. Oscar seemed to genuinely like him as well. At one point, Oscar asked if he had a girlfriend back home.

Zelgius shook his head almost immediately.

"I don't believe it. Handsome man like you, there must be someone." Oscar persisted.

Zelgius flushed ever so slightly, then sighed. "To be honest...? There is this one I have a crush on, but... I don't think it would work out between us."

More sympathy. Ike was barely registering. "She has someone else?" Oscar asked delicately.

The raven-haired boy shrugged slightly. "To be honest, I don't know. I haven't ever asked. Or noticed anything, though I'm sure a lot of others feel the same as me."

"Well, here's what you do. You go out there, and you win this thing... and then, you go home, and ask her out then. Right?" Oscar suggested encouragingly.

"I don't think that would work." Zelgius replied quietly. "Winning... wouldn't help me much."

That caused a surprised murmur to run through the crowd. "Why ever not?" Oscar asked, mystified.

"Because they're a tribute." he said flatly, causing a stir in the audience. "They don't know a thing, and I don't believe I should tell them, either. It would hurt us both, I think, since... well... only one of us would be able to come out of the arena, you know."

The crowd sighed. Unrequited romantic drama was high on the list of favored Capitol entertainment. Ike vaguely wondered who Zelgius was talking about—and suddenly realized that he hadn't ever used a female pronoun himself...

"Well, that is a bad piece of luck." Oscar said, and there was a real edge of pain in his voice. The crowd was murmuring in agreement.

"Indeed." Zelgius agreed.

There were a few sympathetic cries from the audience. Zelgius paused briefly, then added "One other thing. This person is... a tribute I'm sure you know very well."

"Well... I wish you the best of luck, Zelgius Kadohl." Oscar said. "And I think I speak for all of us when I say that our hearts go with you."

The crowd's deafening roar followed Zelgius offstage. Ike looked at him curiously and Zelgius gave him a small, helpless shrug. Then the tributes filed back into the Training Center lobby and to the elevators.

To Ike's immediate relief, he actually found himself in an elevator with his 'pack'—Leanne, still beautiful and angelic; Kita, small and pretty; and Zelgius, tall, powerful, and yes, _handsome,_ now that Ike thought about it. Whoever the girl was—or boy, if it was one—he or she would be lucky to have Zelgius by their side, if they could.

Leanne was talking about Zelgius' interview when Ike stepped in the elevator to join them. "And I really wonder why you never used a female pronoun," she was saying, "Everyone was talking about that, the only reason for it I can think of is that it's actually a boy, which would make you gay. I'm surprised I couldn't tell before that there was any question, I mean, I know another boy who's gay but he isn't much like you at all, he's much more girlish! You act more straight than gay, but you must be gay because of what you said, not using female pronouns, unless you were just trying to mess with everyone, which doesn't seem like you! Oh! Who is it you like, anyway? Ooh! Is it Volug? He's _really_ cute, you know."

Zelgius was blushing slightly, but Kita kind of giggled and glanced out the doors. The wolf boy was near another elevator, and glanced at them curiously when Kita looked. "He is, isn't he? Very... handsome." she murmured, reaching over and hitting "7".

"Oh, wait! I know!" Leanne snapped her fingers as the doors slid shut. "It's Ike, isn't it?"

Both the boys sputtered and turned bright red. Kita laughed. "It is, isn't it?" Leanne persisted. "I mean, it isn't like Zelgy's talked to any other guys during training, and you two hang out so much together anyway! Come on! Is it Ike? Ooh! Ike! Do you like him too?"

"I-I'm not going to reply to that." Ike said with a nervous laugh. Zelgius looked too embarrassed to speak. Kita was just laughing.

Leanne pretended to pout. "You guys are no fun!" The elevator stopped at 7 and she stepped off. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She lightly danced down the hallway as Zelgius hit "11" and the doors shut.

"Uh..." Ike glanced at Zelgius curiously. "Is it, actually...?"

"No!" Zelgius said quickly. For a moment, Ike strangely felt a bit hurt—the way Zelgius had said it, it made it sound as if he thought the idea of anyone feeling that way for Ike incredulous. Then he clarified; "Don't ask me now. Please."

"But why?" Ike asked as the elevator came to a stop on 11. "Why say anything if you're just going to deny it the rest of the time?"

Zelgius gave him a light push out of the elevator, even as the one beside them came to a stop. "He asked, didn't he? Good luck tomorrow." Then he reached around and hit a button, and the doors slid shut just as the other elevator opened and the rest of the District 11 crew arrived.

After dinner, they watched the replay in the sitting room. Most of them, anyway; again, Shinon refused to watch, and stayed in the dining room. Aimee complained loudly again that he was abandoning his duties as a mentor by not even watching the interviews, but he wouldn't budge._ Yet another one of his strange aspects,_ Ike thought.

During the interview replay, Ike found himself subconsciously studying the male tributes, wondering which one was Zelgius' secret crush, if it really was one of the boys, like Leanne thought. It was hard for him to guess, though. Based on appearances, he thought Kurth and Volug were the best looking, though Skrimir and the bird laguz boys weren't so bad either. Other than appearance, he couldn't think of why Zelgius would like one of those boys, since he certainly hadn't spoken to any of them. As for the girls, he had to say that he considered Leanne the most beautiful. No question about it; he considered her utterly breathtakingly beautiful, a thought that made him blush slightly(fortunately no one else was paying attention to him). Besides her, there was Sakira, Mia, the District 1 girl... He found his mind wandering to Leanne's guess back in the elevator—was it possible that _he _was the one Zelgius had spoken of? That seemed unrealistic. _Of course it's not me. We're just... allies, is all. When it comes down to it, he will kill me, probably._

_Actually... will he? Really?_ That prospect was so startling he nearly spoke aloud. He'd always assumed that eventually Zelgius would be his enemy, but...

"You were pretty good, Ike." Mia said quietly, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Ike looked at the screen, where he was just leaving the front and Kita coming center stage. "I have the feeling I got upstaged by District Twelve." he replied.

"Everyone loves a little romantic drama!" Aimee said, leaning in and watching the screen intently. "Even if it's possibly yaoi. _Especially _if it's yaoi!"

"I don't know about _that,"_ Lyn said hesitantly.

Roy elbowed her lightly. "Oh, come on! Even _you _can't deny that his interview was the most memorable!"

"Well, no—but not _because_ of the, um, _possible _yaoi!"

"Yes it was!" Aimee insisted.

The three of them started arguing. Then Mia joined in. The only one still watching the screen when Zelgius' interview came on was Ike. He registered a bit more of it and concluded that the older boy had done much better than Ike himself... in fact, he almost considered himself a bit shallow, but Zelgius was far more memorable, much deadlier and deeper...

When the anthem finished and the screen went dark, a hush fell over the room(the argument having ended, in Aimee's favor). Tomorrow was the beginning of the Games, and this would be the last time they saw their mentor and escort. Neither of them would be going with Ike and Mia to the arena. They'd be at the Games Headquarters, signing up sponsors and working out strategies on how and when to deliver the gifts. Their final goodbyes would be said here.

Aimee actually cried slightly, wishing them both well. Thanked them for being the best tributes it had ever been her privilege to sponsor. Then—because it was Aimee and apparently she was required by law to say something awful_—_she added "I wouldn't be at all surprised if I finally get promoted to a decent district next year!"

Then she kissed them each on the cheek, lingered slightly over Ike, and hurried out. They went after her back into the dining room, where Shinon was waiting.

Shinon crossed his arms and stared them both down. "Any final advice?" Mia asked wearily.

"When the count ends, get the hell out of there." he replied flatly. "No matter how good you think you are, there's no way you can go up unarmed against fully Transformed laguz, and believe me that's the first thing they're going to do. Clear out, put as much distance as you can between yourselves and the others, and find a source of water. Got it?"

"And after that?" Mia persisted.

"Stay alive."

Mia left quietly, but Ike lingered for a minute. "What about my friends? You were the one who told me to find allies."

"In your case...?" Shinon hesitated for just a moment. "Get the heron girl out of the bloodbath. That boy can take care of his sister. Stay together, if you can."

"And... and as for later?"

"End it when you're down to the last seven or eight. Keep an eye out for the half-breeds."

Ike stiffened slightly. "They're called Branded."

Shinon just left without replying.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_I realized then, as I said goodbye to Micaiah Deyan for what I was sure would be the last time, how much I cared about her. She'd become more than just a mentor for me over the past week; she'd become my friend, even during a time when I was trying my hardest _not _to make friends._

_ We shook hands and she wished me luck. Her final advice? "Wait for the last minute. When there's no one else left or there's no choice otherwise."_

_ Sothe and Kita had left already. Micaiah's advice was for me and me alone, because it was her and her alone who knew my plan. The plan I made when I swore Sydelle I would protect Kita always, no matter what._

_ I wish I could tell Ike of my plan. Tell him what I'm going to do. But for the plan to succeed, he will have to die, too..._

_ Damn! Why'd I have to go announce my feelings to the world? It'll only make it harder for me in the end... and yet, I have the feeling that my mentor's advice for the interview was sound, that now I've become more than just the Branded boy who volunteered to protect his sister. Now I'm the lovestruck boy from Twelve who is in love with one of his fellow tributes, but he can't ever tell because the pain would be just too great for us to have to kill each other... Tragic, unrequited love._

_ My true feelings are probably the greatest betting subject in the Capitol, now._

_ The roof is so quiet this time of night. Hours before dawn, when we'll be prepared for the Games. Longer hours before ten o'clock, when the Hunger Games really will begin._

_ Suddenly I hear the door open and I know who it is, without looking. "You couldn't sleep, either?" I ask._

_ Ike walks forward to join me by the railing. "I keep thinking about the Games," he admits. "I wonder what the arena will be this year. A desert? Swamp? Frigid wasteland?"_

_ I haven't even thought about that. The state of the arena never had much importance for me. The tributes are what concern me more... "I wasn't even thinking of that," I say._

_ "What were you thinking about?"_

_ "Well..." It seems awkward to say it, so I think of something else that's been bothering me—an easier subject to deal with than my heart. "I... I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?"_

_ He shakes his head. "I wish I could think of a way to... to show the capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games," I explain. Which is ridiculous. Because I know that I am nothing but a pawn... my plan revolves around that..._

_ "But we're not." Ike says quietly. "None of us are. That's how the Games work."_

_ "I know," I say._

_ He pauses briefly. "But... I do understand, a bit. I mean... If I die, I want to still be me."_

_ "Yes... but I just... can't afford to think like that." And it's true, more or less. I can't._

_ Neither of us say anything for a while. Just standing next to him makes my heart pound slightly faster, but that's probably because I'm embarrassed by what Leanne said earlier._

_ "Zelgius..." he begins._

_ Uh oh. Please don't go into _that _now, please don't..._

_ "Do you have a district token yet?"_

_ Oh. Wasn't expecting that. "No," I say before I can think. Though it is true._

_ Ike sighs slightly. "Me neither. Though maybe they'll count my headband as mine." He toys with one end absently. "They'll have to, I guess. Since it isn't uniform."_

_ "I think they could consider that part of the outfit." I say, but on second thought I amend my statement; "Then again, they might say it could be used as an impromptu weapon. They may not allow it at all. You could probably strangle someone with it."_

_ Ike grimaces. "Thank you for that pleasant image."_

_ I have the feeling I've said something wrong again, so I don't say anything else for a while. Neither does he, for the longest time._

_ But finally, he takes my hand, pulls something out of his pocket, and presses it into my palm. "Would you take this?"_

_ I look down. It's the little gold bird pin. The Yune. I look up at him. "Are you sure?"_

_ "Like I said," he says, "My headband will probably be my district token. I want you to have this."_

_ I close my hand over the pin. "...Thank you."_

_ He smiles, and now I'm in danger of feeling too emotional again. What am I doing? Every second I spend with him will only make the pain worse later..._

_**Author's Note:**  
_

_Hello, all! Thought I'd throw in a note here... First off, how's the story? I'd like to apologize if any or all characters seem to be out of character... I did my best to make them in-character, but I probably goofed up some anyway. Sorry for that! Anyway, I hope this isn't following the book _too_ closely...  
Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated!  
_

_**-DarkieDucessa**  
_


	6. Chapter 6

_**IKE**_

The morning blurred together for Ike. He woke up in a daze and was so sleepy he forgot his headband. The only thing he could force down was a cup of coffee, and then he was picked up by the hovercraft that would take the tributes to the arena. His and the other's forearms were injected with tracking devices, and he saw the laguz being given a second and third injection—that would be their Transformation controllers, limiting their time in animal form, and their sense inhibitors. Leanne didn't make a sound on the first or second one but whimpered slightly at the third, briefly rubbing her arm when the needle had been pulled out, and for several minutes Ike could see her veins standing out, dark blue on her pale skin. He shivered a bit at the sight. Then the veins faded and bright, faintly glowing green numbers appeared on her right arm; **14: 00: 00.** Her Transform time, which would be kept track of through those six glowing digits.

After a fairly short ride, they got to the arena—the windows were blacked out, so Ike couldn't see it—and the hovercraft landed; Ike went down the ladder and followed his directions through the catacombs beneath the arena to his destination; his Launch Room.

Lyn was already there. They didn't speak much, and she gave him the thin, hooded black jacket that was part of the outfit this year. The rest of it—a pale green shirt, cargo pants, belt and boots—he was already wearing. Then Lyn produced his old headband, clean and the edges partially fixed. "Where'd you get that?" Ike asked.

"Off the floor in the train." she replied. "Technically, it's your district token." She handed it to him, who promptly used it to tie his hair back. "It barely cleared the review board. Some thought it could be used as a weapon."

Inwardly, Ike smiled wryly. _Like Zelgius thought._

"But eventually, they let it through." Lyn finished. "There, you're all set."

Distantly, Ike heard the countdown begin and knew it was time to go. He walked over and stood on the circular metal plate, then turned back to Lyn.

She smiled faintly. "I'm not allowed to bet, Ike, but if I could...my money would be on you."

He tried to smile, but he was too tense to really mean it. "Thank you."

They shook hands, one last time. "Good luck...boy of blue flames."

Then a glass cylinder was lowered around Ike, and the plate he was standing on began to rise. For maybe fifteen seconds he was in total darkness, and then he felt the metal plate pushing him out of the cylinder, into the open air. For a moment he was dazzled by the bright sunlight and then he was only conscious of the wind and a lot of stone.

Then Ike heard the legendary announcer, Kieran Fergus, as his dramatic voice boomed out all around him;

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Two-Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Annual Hunger Games begin!"

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ Sixty seconds. That's how long we have to stand on our pedestals before the end of the final countdown releases us. Step off before then, and land mines blow your legs off. A minute to take in the ring of tributes equidistant from the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn shaped like a cone with a curved tail, the mouth of which is at least twenty feet high, spilling over with the things that will give us life. Food, containers of water, weapons, medicine, garments, fire starters. The value of the supplies decrease the farther they are from the horn._

_ We're on a flat, open stretch of ground. A plain of hard-packed dirt; no green in sight. Behind me is a cliff, dropping off to a field far below I can't quite make out. To my right lies a river, which leads down to the cliff behind me and drops off. To my left and ahead, stone, cliff and mountain as far as I can see..._

_ I take in the tributes around me. Goddess bless Micaiah and Sothe, I don't know how they did it, but the only tribute between me and Kita is Ike. He's not even looking at the tributes, but appears to be studying the Cornucopia, possibly looking for weapons. I wonder what he's thinking—no beorc in their right mind would actually charge into the middle of the bloodbath, not with all the fully rested and Transformed laguz around. Any non-laguz who tried that strategy in the Games I have seen were usually the first to die._

_ Yet I follow his line of sight and I see he is focused on one thing in particular. Resting on a mound of blanket rolls is a steel blade, brand-new, but there are too many of these antsy and overeager Beast laguz hovering nearby. On Kita's other side is Volug, staring intensely at the Cornucopia, and on my other side is Sakira, grinning sadistically. They wouldn't hesitate to tear him to pieces._

_ I look at Ike again. He's still staring at the blade. Surely he doesn't think he could outrun Sakira, Volug, and Ashunera knows who else is close enough to take him out?_

_ Now he's looking past the sword, though. I follow his sight again and see Leanne, flanked by the red dragon girl and the cat boy, looking a bit nervous. She clears her throat and she's clutching something tightly in her hands—a necklace, perhaps?_

_ My mind wanders to the pin Ike gave me. It's on my shirt under my jacket, a reassuring presence as I turn back to Kita and get ready to run._

_ And not a moment too soon, as the final countdown begins;_

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

_ And then I'm deafened by the terrible roars, howls, and screeches of the laguz Transforming all around me, some already moving. Ike sprints straight towards the Cornucopia and I run for Kita, even as Volug howls in the thralls of his Transformation and she cautiously backs away._

_**IKE**_

The countdown had barely ended when Ike was flying across the hard ground, hearing the terrible sounds all around him. He trusted Zelgius to protect Kita and he was more focused on Leanne, who was almost directly across from him.

A dark brown blur shot past him and instinctively he rolled, but when he looked again he realized that Volug—for that was who it must be, the dark brown wolf before him—was more interested in another, more dangerous target; howling, he leaped onto a huge red lion and bit it savagely, causing it to roar in pain. Ike didn't pause but kept running, dodging around that battle and barely dodging as the two hawks barreled past him.

He sprinted straight past the Cornucopia, picking up an orange backpack as he went, and continued running. The mountain was ahead of him, probably his most likely chance of survival—and Leanne was near, too.

Ike barely had time to hear a sharp whistle before he instinctively ducked and a spear flew over his head. He glanced back and saw Vika, unShifted, balancing on the top of the Cornucopia with two other spears in hand. He'd seen her in training, and she almost never missed her targets. She wasn't even looking to see if she had hit him, and appeared to be studying the bloodbath below her, looking for targets. He thanked his good fortune; she was more intent on a red dragon that was breathing flames at a hawk than him.

He heard another whistle and looked for the source of it. Leanne was unShifted and hovering not far from him, her eyes intently searching for anyone close enough to attack her or Ike. He picked up the spear Vika had thrown, which had landed not far from him, and sprinted towards the heron girl.

She saw him coming and waved, then whistled a shrill note in alarm. Ike ducked and rolled, nearly dropping the spear, and heard an angry yowl. Coming to his feet, he saw the Tranformed cat girl(at least he thought it was the girl) land in a crouch in front of him. She ignored Leanne and spun on Ike, hissing at him. He circled her warily, holding the spear readily, but then jumped back as a light brown blur streaked out of the sky and crashed into the cat's side. She howled and tumbled sideways, blood splattering the ground as the hawk flew away, then got to her feet and pursued it with a vengeance, leaving Ike open to catch up with Leanne.

He was breathing heavily when he reached her, slightly winded. Before he could do anything, she grabbed his upper arm, pulling him upright, and chanted something in the ancient tongue. Energy suddenly surged through him and he found his breathing back to normal in just a few seconds. _So that's what a galdr is,_ he thought briefly as he stood straighter.

"Run." Leanne said quickly, and when Ike glanced back at the Cornucopia—and several dead laguz already on the ground—he quickly agreed. She suddenly made a strange sound in the back of her throat, and he realized she was Shifting. Backing off for a moment, he slung the backpack over his shoulder and grabbed the nearest objects; a loaf of bread and a three-foot square of plastic. Looking at the Cornucopia again, he tried desperately to spot Zelgius and Kita, but they were nowhere to be seen.

A flood of color washed over Leanne and suddenly she was a heron, flying towards the cliffs. Ike sprinted after her as fast as he could, and when they reached the first cliff, he began to climb. She just flew up, and whenever he lost his breath she stopped to sing to him again. Hearing Leanne's galdrar come from a huge white bird was a little eerie.

He paused at the top of the first cliff, ignoring the sparse forest ahead, and looked back down again. From what he could tell, several of the laguz had Reverted and were hacking away at one another at the horn, though a raven was flying overhead—_probably Vika,_ he thought. He still couldn't see Zelgius or Kita, but Leanne's insistent call pulled him away. He reminded himself that he had to take care of Leanne, too, and so as the heron Reverted and landed lightly on the ground, he caught her before she could stumble and helped her run into the sparse woods, until the other tributes were hidden from view.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ I cannot keep track of how many have died. I haven't killed anyone myself but I saw the cat boy die in front of me. He was going for the same bedroll that I managed to grab but Sakira jumped him. I didn't see where she went after that; I was too busy running before she turned on me. That might sound cowardly, but it was the only option I had besides death._

_ As we fell back, I saw the red dragon boy burned by Kurth's breath attack and the hawk girl run through with one of Vika's spears. Skrimir tore the heron boy's wings off before he killed him._

_ I didn't let Kita look._

_ I saw Ike make it to Leanne, and them fleeing north to the cliffs. I suppose we should go that way, but when we ran we ended up at the river. Looking back at the bloodbath, I know this'll probably be the first place the Career pack will go._

_ Kita managed to grab a half-gallon bottle of water and a loaf of bread; I got a bedroll and a small pack with a knife, a sleeping bag, and another bottle. We fill up the bottles with water before running upstream, taking cover behind the stone formations that quickly begin to emerge around the river's edge._

_ We alternate between jogging and walking. I know I can go a long time, but Kita isn't strong enough. We need to find Leanne. That's another advantage of allying with a heron, I believe; according to Leanne, their galdrar can keep a weak person going for a lot longer than normal, something I know Kita will need in the days to come. I only hope that Leanne is still alive. And that she wasn't exaggerating._

_ The stone formations we're now surrounded by are soon joined by sparse vegetation, but most of the dry shrubs and rare berry plant near us are kinds I've never seen before. We see a rabbit or two, so at least there will be something for me and Ike to hunt._

_ I wonder what's going on in the Capitol right now. The opening of the Games is one of the heaviest days of betting, when the initial casualties come in. And I have the feeling there's more than one subject to bet on this year—even if it's unofficial, thanks to Micaiah's suggestion to come out publicly, I'm sure there will be betting on exactly which of the other tributes I entertain romantic feelings for._

_ Whether or not that tribute is dead or alive._

_ It's late afternoon when we begin to hear the cannons. Each shot represents a dead tribute. The fighting must have finally stopped at the Cornucopia; they never collect the bodies until the killers have dispersed. I allow myself and Kita to pause, make sure to keep my face expressionless, and I count the shots._

_ One...two...three...on and on until they reach ten. Only ten? Last year fourteen died on the first day, four others wounded. Usually at least half die in the bloodbath. I wonder if this is an all-time low._

_ Ten dead. Fourteen left to play._

_**IKE**_

Ike didn't allow himself and Leanne to rest until they heard the cannons. He slumped down next to his pack, exhausted, and the heron leaned against a tree, wheezing from lack of air and probably a hoarse throat from all the galdrar.

The blue-haired teen went carefully through the pack, examining the contents, and Leanne knelt down next to him. "Any water?" she asked breathlessly.

Ike pulled out an empty water bottle from the pack and sighed, shaking his head. "How hard would it have been to fill this thing?" he asked aloud.

She groaned and slumped back against the tree, resting her head in her hands. Her feathers tickled Ike's nose slightly and he resisted the urge to sneeze.

He sighed again and got to his feet. "We can't stop yet. We should keep going."

Leanne moaned and forced herself to her feet. "Any food in there?"  
"Yes, but we should save it... I'll get us something later."

She checked her arm for a moment. The time read **13: 02: 55.** She'd been transformed for fifty-seven minutes and five seconds—probably a record low for a laguz in the Games to use on the first day.

In another hour, he finally decided to make camp. He picked the cave carefully; a small one, not terribly large but set within a good deal of stone and vegetation, offering more-than-decent concealment. He let Leanne in first and then climbed in, setting a few leafy branches across the entrance. He gave the sleeping bag to the girl and helped her arrange it comfortably in the tight enclosure. He claimed the backpack as a pillow, then pulled on his hood. The night was cooling quickly, and now he wished that he'd thought to grab a second sleeping bag. _Too late now, I guess._

Night had just fallen when Ike heard the anthem that preceded the death recap. He quickly moved to the entrance with Leanne. Through the branches they could see the seal of the Capitol, up in the sky. Ike took a deep breath as the faces of the ten dead tributes began and counted them in his head.

The first one was the girl from District 3. So both tributes from 1 and 2 had survived; no surprise there. The boy from 4—that _was_ a surprise; usually all the Careers made it through the first day. Then the boy from 5. The girl from 6...Volug must've made it. The boy from 7, both from 8 and 9. And finally, the boy from 10. That was it. The Capitol seal came back briefly, and then there was just darkness again.

_Well... so my entire team made it through the first day, _Ike thought. _Me, Zelgius, Kita, and Leanne. And almost all the Careers, nothing new there... Other than that, there's... the boy from 3, the girl from 5, Volug, the girl from 10... and Mia._

_ Mia. She's survived. I wonder if that's a good thing...?_ He decided to debate this in the morning and settled down to sleep. It was deathly cold. but he just bit his tongue and didn't complain.

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

In the Games Headquarters cafeteria, late that same night, Shinon was slumped next to a drink after a long several hours of attempting to sign up sponsors. So far, he and Aimee had done pretty good, but he figured there was only so much talking to the "Capitol Human rich sponsor-types" he could take.

He'd been drinking a bit too much, though, so when Micaiah Deyan from District 12 sat down next to him he barely noticed.

"How's it going?" she asked quietly.

He sighed and rested his elbows on the table with his face in his hands; "Same as always. What'dya expect?"

She shrugged and gently took the drink away from him. He didn't resist, knowing it would be useless against her. "How are your tributes doing?"

"Sleeping n' walkin' in the woods at night. Nothin' new. Yours?"

"They're both asleep." She paused and glanced over at another table in the cafeteria, where Sothe, Aimee, and several other escorts were whispering. From what she'd learned from Sothe, they were probably discussing their bets on the two most popular subjects of the day. "What do you think of Zelgius'...?"

"What 'bout him?" Shinon asked blankly.

She paused, then nodded. "Right. You never watch the interviews."

"You think I would, when they're using—"

Micaiah shook her head quickly, laying a hand on his arm to calm him. "No. Look... in his interview, Zelgius confessed to having fallen in love with one of the tributes, though he didn't say which, and specifically did not use female pronouns, which everyone noticed. And apparently, it's one of the more popular tributes, too."

Shinon blinked, then snorted. "They bought that?"

"We sold that." she replied. "It's become the second hottest betting subject amongst the Capitol citizens, I believe. 'Which tribute's going to win?' and after that 'Who is Zelgius Kadohl secretly in love with?' All unofficial, of course."

"Hmm. How many sponsors have you gotten for that, now?"

She tapped her finger against her lips and smiled. "District secret, I'm afraid."

He snorted again. "Fine."

From the other table, they heard one of the female escorts—a fairly ditzy young woman, District 8's escort—say, rather loudly; "Actually, I was almost too distracted by Oscar Osûka to pay attention to the interviews! Isn't he _soo_ hot?"

Shinon abruptly stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door loudly behind him and drawing a few startled looks. Micaiah leaned back in her chair and sighed. _Poor Shinon,_ she lamented silently. _Always haunted..._

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ Me and Kita rest together in a hollow of a large formation, nestled behind a boulder. The night is so cold, even our shared body heat isn't enough to keep us warm. I can bear extreme cold, but Kita's not strong enough; the sleeping bags are lifesavers for her, I'm sure. She's asleep now, but I still have insomnia._

_ At around midnight on the first day, after they've shown the death recap—I only managed to see enough to ensure that Ike and Leanne are still alive—I hear footsteps and tramping through the stones. I quietly cover Kita's mouth to ensure she does not cry out accidentally, though I know it's unlikely as she is a very quiet sleeper, and silence my breathing as best I can. A moment later, I see someone limping through the forest, barely twenty feet from us._

_ It's the girl from 10. She's injured—her leg is wrapped in a dirty bandage, which she must have gotten from the Cornucopia. She breathes heavily and looks around for enemies._

_ If this was in the wilderness, outside of the Games, she probably would have smelled me and Kita by now. But as part of the "equalizer" that was added into the laguz tributes along with the tracker, the same equalizer that limits their Transformations, their senses have been dulled to just above an average beorc's. And thank the Goddess for that, because I'm in no position to defend myself if she abruptly Shifted and used a Breath attack on us._

_ She pauses briefly, sitting on a stone to check her bandage. She's got several nasty fang wounds down her calf. It looks infected. I briefly feel sorry for her, but then shove my feelings aside by reminding myself that if our positions were reversed, she wouldn't hesitate to kill me._

_ There's a wolf howl, maybe a mile off from us. She panics, wraps her leg up again and hurries off into the darkness. I wait until I'm sure she's out of earshot, then remove my hand from Kita's mouth and breathe a little easier._

_ Of course, that howl meant that Volug is somewhere nearby. And probably Transformed. I know we should leave, find a better hiding spot, but Kita needs to rest if she's going to continue, so I quietly get my knife instead and promise myself to stay up all night, if need be. Anything to protect her._


	7. Chapter 7

_**IKE**_

His dreams were riddled with howling wolves and vicious lions. Ike was all too glad when he finally awoke.

Leanne was squeezed up right next to him, rolling up the sleeping bag, when he awoke. She noticed his eyes opening and smiled brightly. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

He shrugged slightly and winced, his joints a bit sore. "All right." he replied quietly. "Some bad dreams. You?"

She shrugged the same way he had and offered him the backpack, which he'd rolled off of in his sleep. "We have a little food." she said quietly.

He waved it off. "We should save that. I'll get a rabbit or something. But I think our immediate concern is water and finding the others."

She nodded.

Ten minutes later they were in the open and walking carefully through the sparse forest again. Ike realized that Shinon had been right when he'd told him to find a water source; he was already getting dehydrated. Strangely enough, Leanne seemed unaffected, still quietly singing Vigor whenever Ike started to tire. Apparently herons didn't feel the water deprivation as badly as beorc. He still wondered why nobody had ever teamed up with a heron before; their galdrar really were invaluable, though of course that might have just been Leanne herself.

Another more immediate problem was finding Zelgius and Kita. The last he recalled seeing them was before the gong sounded, but after it began he'd been more intent on getting to Leanne than paying attention to the other two. He'd asked, but Leanne hadn't seen them either. His best guess was that they would be looking for water, but the only water source he could think of was the river, which was sure to be surrounded by the Career pack. If they were all together, then maybe they could face the Careers, but as it was, with the team separated in half...

Leanne suddenly halted in mid-step. Ike tensed and froze in place. "What's wrong?" he asked, as quiet as he could within her hearing.

She waited only a moment, and then he heard chirping and she relaxed. "Look," she said, pointing up in a tree. Ike's gaze followed her finger and he spotted a bird.

It was small and delicate, with orange and red feathers. As he watched, it whistled something that sounded suspiciously like the opening six notes of Vigor, then flew away. "What was that?" he asked.

"We call them _Irotonimagem._ Goddess-birds." she replied, slightly awestruck. "They're rumored to be descendants of the bird that hosted Goddess Yune, in the Hero Ike's time. But they haven't been seen since the Dark Years... we'd thought they'd all gone extinct."

Now that Ike thought about it, the bird really had looked like the Yune he'd whittled. "Why do you suppose they're here?" he remarked.

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "They've been known to imitate songs, especially those sung by herons. Maybe they're here because of me..."

"Maybe." Ike turned to continue the way they'd been walking. "Come on. We have to keep going."

She followed him, but she was much more quiet and contemplative now.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ The walking—and occasional climbing—is slow. Ike and Leanne were headed north, so that's where we go. Kita is utterly silent, but that's good, because then I can focus on listening for other tributes._

_ Around midday we hear what sounds like an explosion from the near east. It's followed by several more, all loud enough for anyone to hear. The noise will probably draw the Careers, so we continue north even more cautiously._

_ But the Gamemakers' traps moves faster than I anticipated. It's barely ten minutes after that when the wall of sand and fire suddenly descends on us, literally out of nowhere. I grab Kita's hand and we run._

_ The animals flee to the west, and we follow them. The world is in flame and smoke all around us, and I believe the Gamemakers are steering us now; the few trees burn and collapse in our path, forcing us to run in a different direction, while sheets of fire close off where we've been before. The choking sand blinds us almost entirely._

_ I hear a cry, and for a moment I think I see the District 10 girl, but there's no way we can try to help her; we have enough problems on our own right now. I hear a huge explosion; instinctively I fall to the ground, pulling Kita with me, and a sheet of flame shoots out over our heads, singing the top of my hair. Then I'm up and running again, Kita right behind me. For a moment I hear a hawk's cry, but it's lost over the sound of the fire._

_ The heat is horrible and the sand and smoke is even worse, and it's taking its toll on Kita. She staggers, coughing, and I roughly pull her to her feet. The haze is so thick branches and stones materialize out of the gray before we have warning; I'm sure we're both covered in cuts and scratches now, and I can literally feel the blood running down my face._

_ I leap over a burning log and barely manage to get Kita over it. Her left arm drags slightly and the jacket sleeve hits the fires; she cries in pain, and I stop to pull the jacket off her and stamp out the flames. I put it out quickly, but her arm's injured; there's no time to look at it now, so I stuff her jacket in the pack, grab her right hand, and keep going._

_ The smoke and haze is getting worse; Kita starts coughing horribly, and now each breath sends a searing pain through my chest. We manage to cover behind a rock for a moment, and I take a second to check our injures. Kita's arm is burned, very badly, angry red blisters all up the forearm, welts on her right hand where she touched the jacket. I have welts on both my hands from pulling her out of the fire and a scalding blister on my left leg where I scraped a log. But there's nothing I can do about any of it, not now... The sand is getting thicker and I'm literally blind; I pull my jacket off and wrap it around my face, and that helps a little. I quickly do the same for Kita, and we huddle together with our eyes closed, hoping the fire won't catch up._

_ How long we were there, I cannot say, but finally the sand begins to abate. Kita's eyes are filled with tears from the smoke and haze, and mine too. We're both up to our knees when we're down on them in sand, and the heat is almost unbearable. I stand up, but I'm barely on my feet when a flame-heated stone sparks out of some inferno nearby and hits my left leg dead on, before I can try to avoid it. The pain is overwhelming._

_ Kita's gotten her strength back, so we're both running again, or stumbling in my case, until I'm sure that we've cleared the fire area. The smoke and haze finally begin to clear, and when I look back I see we've finally left the flames behind us. But the black clouds and the sand still lingers, limiting my visibility to fifteen feet or so. If another tribute attacked us now, we'd probably be dead. But there aren't any other tributes around; just black clouds, and us, as we stumble blindly through the trees._

_ I don't notice the river until I stumble and we both fall into it. My leg and hands get instant relief as soon as they enter the water; from Kita's slight sigh, I can tell she's feeling the same._

_ We can't stay here for long. I'm exhausted from the running and she must be, too, but that fire will most definitely have attracted the Career pack and anyone else looking for easy pickings. The longer we stay in one spot, the more danger we're in... but I'm already getting drowsy, and whenever Kita tries to take her arm from the water she has to put it back in before she cries in pain. Then again, the fire might attract Ike and Leanne..._

_ I unwrap my jacket and splash my face in water to clear away some of the sand, and then I check over our equipment. Most of it is unscathed, except for the pack itself, which has some scorch marks—that's not a problem, it'll serve as camouflage—and Kita's jacket. The entire left sleeve and several inches on the bottom are burned beyond repair; I cut the damaged areas off, leaving her with a garment with only one sleeve that comes down to her stomach; it's still better than nothing, though. I pack up everything neatly again, then spot some water plants with edible roots and make me and Kita a small meal. We slowly rehydrate ourselves. Neither of us are ready to leave, but I know we have to, before the Career pack comes..._

_ A cannon startles me awake, and then I hear feet. I drag myself out of the pool quickly and grab the pack. Kita's a little more reluctant, but I get her on her feet with little fuss. We run a bit, northwards I'm guessing, until I find a cliff-face with a cave further up, and we climb it. If running hurt, climbing is agony. We go about forty feet up to the cave; I send her up a bit further back, in case whoever it is has a ranged weapon—or is a flier._

_ We wait a long moment. Then I see a wolf run below, heading south, I think. Volug. He doesn't seem to picked up on us, as he completely ignores the cliff and the river. He's Shifted, too; I wonder why he'd waste his precious Transform minutes on something like that. Then I see the blood on his fur and I realize why._

_ We wait another twenty minutes before climbing the rest of the way up. From here, I judge our position and the time; it's sometime around five in the afternoon, I think, and Volug was definitely heading south. The fires were to the southeast; so, we go northeast, towards the direct north of the Cornucopia, where we guess Ike and Leanne will be. Walking is now agonizing for me._

_ It seems like hours before we find water again. By now we're down to the second bottle. A peaceful stream runs through the stone, falling in a waterfall to the river below, still bordered by stone formations. We refill the bottles and walk upstream, in the water to lose our tracks. I find some herbs that I think should help burns, and I tear off part of my shirt to use as bandages for our hands, tying the herbs onto them. It helps, a little._

_ We continue to follow the river upstream, then go west deeper into the stone hills. Kita's tired, we both are, but we keep walking without complaint. She toys with her bandages and frequently touches the single stud in her right ear. It's a tiny piece of sapphire, not enough to be worth anything. It's one of a pair that belonged to our mother. I wear the other one in my left ear, usually covered by a particularly long strand of my hair. Seeing her touching hers makes me think of Sydelle..._

_ By the position of the sun, I would think it's sometime around nine or ten in the evening when we finally stop for the night. We're next to another cliff-face, and there's a small cave well hidden in the boulders; we crawl in there to sleep. We both pass out before I see the death count. It's been an exhausting day._

_ By morning, I can barely stand up. Kita's arm is no better, either, and my fingers are burned all over. It hurts to touch things, but I still manage to move around well enough to go outside to hunt. I manage to catch a rabbit, and I risk a small fire to cook it; it's a bad idea, but we're both starved and I don't want to risk rabbit fever from eating it raw. The fire brings a few bad memories. Fortunately, no one comes around, and we eat decently._

_ We need to get back to the stream for some more water, but I don't think I could get very far on this; I would only be a burden. Kita could go on her own, but I'm not letting her go anywhere by herself. We laze away in our cave for what seems like forever, trying to dull the pain._

_ Then I hear a bird. At least, I think it is a bird, but its song is the first six notes of the galdr that Leanne taught us, faster. Kita hears it too; she looks around in surprise. Then I hear footsteps and I freeze._

_ There is silence for a while, though it was probably just a few seconds. Then I hear Leanne say quietly "I could have sworn the _Irotonimagem_ was leading us here..."_

_ It's them. It has to be them. I call "Ike, Leanne" as loudly as I dare, and Kita noticeably relaxes._

_ A moment later, the heron girl pokes her head in the cave and smiles brightly. "Zelgy! Kita! I'm so glad you're safe!"_

_ She climbs into the cave and we both back against the wall further to make room for her; a moment later, Ike follows her, slinging an orange pack off his shoulder as he comes in. "Would you happen to have any water?" he asks, rather hoarsely._

_ Kita gets a water bottle out of the pack and gives it to Ike. He drinks about half of it in brief gulps over the course of a minute, then passes it to Leanne. "There was a stream back east..." Kita says quietly._

_ "Oh, that sounds good..." Leanne mumbles._

_ Ike looks over us both; I can see he's appraising the burns. "You two were in that fire yesterday?"_

_ I nod. "Yes, unfortunately."_

_ "You two were luckier than the District 10 girl," Leanne remarks. "She was in the sky last night. You heard the cannon?"_

_ I nod again. "So... how'd you end up here?" Ike asks._

_ "We walked for a long time..." Kita says. "Zelgius wanted to get away from the stream, in case the Careers were patrolling it, and we ended up here. Now the burns have gotten worse, and he can barely stand."_

_ "Have you gotten anything from Micaiah?" Ike says._

_ "No. How about you or Leanne?" I say._

_ "Not a thing." she says. "Darn. Some burn medicine would be nice, right about now..."_

_ We pause for a moment. Leanne glances outside, as if expecting a silver parachute to appear, but I can already see there's nothing. "Sorry, Leanne." Kita says. "Micaiah must not be able to afford it."_

_ "Or Shinon," Ike adds almost lazily. "Or even yours, Leanne."_

_ "Rafiel." she says. "My last older brother."_

_ "Last?" Kita asks._

_ Leanne nods. "My other two older brothers, Reyson and Rowyn, died in the Hunger Games. So did my sisters, Laurel, Lorelei, and Lillia."_

_ There's another long pause. I don't know what to say... nobody knows what to say. "I'm... sorry, Leanne." Ike finally says. "That must have been...painful."_

_ "It's all right." she says, ever so quietly. "It was years ago. I've gotten past it."_

_ Again, another silence; nobody has anything to say. Ike finally breaks the silence, again; "There's still six or seven hours of daylight left. We should get moving—go back to the stream or something."_

_ "I don't know if Zelgius can walk," Kita intercedes._

_ "I'll be fine." I insist. She shakes her head stubbornly._

_ "Leanne?" Ike asks. She seems to know what he wants, and only pauses for a moment before humming something under her breath. A moment later, she sings a few slow, quiet verses of the ancient language; I recognize it as a galdrar, though I don't know the name. A moment later, the throbbing in my leg recedes somewhat._

_ "That should help, a bit." she says. Then she follows Ike as he backs out of the cave. Kita goes after them. I wait only a moment, then I go as well._

_ It still hurts. But not as much as before. I can walk now, but not run, and I'll probably still be limping badly. I voice that quietly aloud, and Ike nods._

_ "You'll be good enough to get back to the stream, I hope. My mother taught me a few herbal remedies... maybe I can figure something out to help. I'm sure Leanne will help, too."_

_ I nod. Kita gets our pack out of the cave, and we quickly cover up traces of our being there. Then we start walking again._

_**CAREERS**_

The five remaining Career tributes and their ally had already set up their base camp. All their extra supplies had been stored inside the Cornucopia, and they took turns standing guard while the other four stayed in the Cornucopia and either relaxed, talked, or slept. They planned to begin the real hunt on the following day, since several of them were recovering from minor injuries from the fire and the bloodbath. Some of them tallied off how many they'd killed.

Skrimir Gaul inscribed three tally marks on the wall under his name, then winced. He had a gash on his upper arm where the wolf male had ripped it and a long burn on his right forearm. It wasn't bad enough to obscure the glowing green numbers that reminded him how much Transform time he had left; **08: 37: 23.**

"I still don't understand how you used up five hours in the bloodbath," Vika said teasingly, drawing in a single tally mark under her own name. **11: 57: 41** shone brightly on her bare arm. "I only used two. The other tributes were so weak, I'm surprised they ever present a challenge."

"I only used an hour..." Kurth Goldoa said quietly, rubbing his right arm where the cat female had bitten it and **12: 59: 54** was faintly visible through the bandage. He hadn't written his name on the wall yet because he had no kills.

"Well, you're a pacifist." Medha Ekard reminded him, adding a tally mark to the wall under her own name. **10: 46: 34** stood on her arm.

"I am not!"

"Are too." Vika chimed in. "You ran away first thing to hide. Ooh, poor Kurth..." she added as he looked away, "Scared of the pathetic tributes...!"

Skrimir glared at her. "At least _he _didn't let anyone in his path escape alive! _You're_ the one who couldn't even kill the pathetic _beorc!"_

"Oh, _please,"_ Vika spat, "if I'd _wanted _to kill him, he'd be dead."

"If you were really showing off, you'd have killed him." Medha said. "You _should've_ killed him. If he gets too popular because of the sub-human, he could draw the sponsors."

Kurth frowned. "You don't think the Branded boy was talking about someone else?"

"Really, Kurth," Vika said sarcastically, "don't tell me _you_ thought the half-breed was speaking of Skrimir?" The girls laughed.

"Well, no," Kurth protested, "but that doesn't mean he... well... hmm. Who _was _he talking about?"

"I think the more important question is, did the kid really buy it?" a cool feminine voice interceded. "And will it present a threat to us?"

The four of them glanced up at Sakira Elle. It was she who had spoken, having returned from standing guard outside. "I don't know," Vika ventured cautiously. "Do you think he bought it?"

"I don't know, but the very real truth right now is, the half-breed boy is a threat, therefore he must be eliminated." Sakira stated. "First thing tomorrow, we go through the woods and look for them. There's four of them and they aren't trained, so it shouldn't be too hard. Once they're dead, we'll fan out and search for the rest."

"What about the Branded girl, or the heron?" Kurth asked.

Medha scoffed. "They're weak. They'll starve to death, sooner or later, or get eaten by the wolf."

Kurth looked down at his hands. "I don't think they're weak..."

Vika pointedly ignored him. "All right, but I call Lover Boy."

"Which one?" Medha asked, and the three girls laughed again.

Sakira casually tapped the three tally marks under her own name on the wall and smirked. "Now, I'm going back out to remind our _friend _to keep his eyes open." As she turned to leave, Skrimir caught a glimpse of her right arm, where she'd rolled the sleeve up. A glimpse of the bright green six-digit number imprinted there;

**14: 00: 00.**

_She's going to be hard to kill, _Skrimir thought bitterly.

_**IKE**_

Ike could tell that Zelgius was still in pain. In fact, just looking at the state the other boy's leg was in, he was surprised that Zelgius could stand at all, much less limp along without complaining. _Good Goddess, but he's really something, _Ike marveled. _He can take all that and still keep going._

_ ...Come to think of it, how come I didn't notice before how... _persistent_ he is? How...resilient. He won't let anything stop him..._

He had the feeling his thoughts were getting dangerous, whatever that could mean, so he forced himself to stop thinking about Zelgius. Instead, as the four of them walked through the hills and stone, with Kita and Leanne padding along in front and himself covering the rear with Zelgius, Ike found himself thinking, strangely, about Shinon Gautier. His mentor had acted so oddly when it came to the pre-Games interviews; he hadn't even watched Ike and Mia's interviews. The way he'd stuttered over Oscar's name, refused to watch the replay—in fact, now that Ike thought about it, even during the replay of the reapings, when Oscar and Kieran had been the commentators(as usual), Shinon had appeared to be drunk and half-asleep until it was ended, as if he was trying not to watch, but was there because he had to be.

_Did something happen during his interviews? _Ike wondered. _Or is it something to do with the interviews themselves... maybe he has some bad memory concerning Oscar, or something. It couldn't have been during his Games, Oscar became the Games announcer after Shinon's..._

He tried to remember Shinon's Games, but he'd only been seven years old at the time and his memory was a bit fuzzy. _Let's see... was that the year with the pristine, poisoned lakes and forests? Or the snowy one with the ice bats? Or maybe the year where the entire arena was a giant cake..._

Kita's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "The stream isn't far now," she was saying, "so be careful."

"I'll fly up a bit and look around," Leanne suggested. "See if I can spot anyone coming. I'll whistle when it's safe." Then she jumped lightly and flapped once, hard, and a moment later she disappeared into the brush overhead.

Zelgius stumbled and hissed through his teeth; Ike quickly caught him and supported him against his wounded leg. He noticed a trickle of blood from the older boy's mouth and realized he must have bitten his tongue to keep from crying out. A rush of sympathy swept through him, and Ike asked "Are you all right?" before he could catch himself.

Zelgius nodded, wincing. "I'm...fine..." he mumbled.

Kita glanced back at them from further ahead and paused in mid-step, waiting for them to catch up. Zelgius made a little motion with his head, urging her to continue; she did so, slowly. Ike studied the other boy's face and noticed his eyes were slightly regretful. "You're sure...?" he asked quietly.

Zelgius didn't answer; he paused and leaned against a tree, balancing on his uninjured leg. "Give...give me a moment..." he said tiredly.

Ike walked closer to him and bent down to look at the burns. They were horrible, much worse than any he had seen in 11. "Would it help if I put some water on it?" he asked.

Zelgius' nod was almost imperceptible. "If it's cold...yes..." Then he sank down on his uninjured knee and winced.

Kita walked back, and Ike motioned her to wait. He pulled out the water from his pack and poured a bit of it on the burn. Zelgius bit his lip so hard it bled, and Ike stopped immediately.

"Here...let me do it..." the older boy said haltingly, taking the bottle from Ike. He dripped a bit more and winced painfully, then tried to use his sleeve to touch it, his blistered hands shaking badly.

Ike was surprised he didn't cry out. Zelgius was hard pressed not to.

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

In the lobby of the Games Headquarters, Shinon was looking up at the huge TV screen that loomed over the room. It was only used to show that year's Hunger Games. And at the moment, it was showing Ike... and Zelgius. In all his pain.

Micaiah, who had walked up behind him while he was watching, drew in a quick breath. "Oh..."

He glanced down at her. "Why don't you sign up a sponsor and get them some medicine, or something?"

"Well..." She glanced around a bit vaguely. "At the moment, I don't have much lined up... the price was already premium on day one, you know..."

"Let me guess. _You_ want to mooch sponsors off me." Shinon stated flatly.

"I wouldn't put it _that _way," she protested. "But Ike and Zelgius are on the same team, and it would technically be helping Ike by helping Zelgius and Kita. You know he's not going to leave them behind, so as long as they're injured they're only a liability for him."

Shinon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Damn fool. If he was smart he would've killed them already."

"And if you were thinking about it, you would realize you would do the same thing he's doing if you were in his position." she replied. "And he would do the same for you. Help me. Please?"

He sighed. He owed a lot to her, so there really wasn't any way he could refuse. "You got the heron asking around, too?"

"He was already looking into it on his own, before I asked." Micaiah replied. "So, come on! You remember what I taught you. Talk to people and see if you can line anything up."

"Oh, all right." He sighed again. "I'll see you in a bit, then..."

About two hours later, the four tributes were still progressing through the hills, and Zelgius had to be supported by Ike to walk.

Micaiah left the blue-haired Gamemaker she'd been talking to and walked over to Shinon and the District 7 mentor. Rafiel was a tall, elegant white-winged heron with a striking resemblance to his younger sister. "How are we doing?" he asked.

"We're good to go," she replied. "Marth's got it arranged. It'll be down to them in five minutes."

The three of them turned back to the screen. Five minutes later, there was a chime and the younger boy on-screen jumped.

_**IKE**_

Ike suddenly heard a loud clunk and started, looking around for the source of the noise. Zelgius, more sensibly, froze in place. Neither of them dared speak.

Kita came back from the front. "Was that you?" she asked in a hushed voice. Zelgius shook his head and she immediately stiffened. Ike felt his heart start racing.

Then he heard a little four-note run whistle. A few seconds pause, and then it came again. _Leanne,_ he thought, and immediately relaxed. Kita did as well, but Zelgius remained stiff and cautious, though when he tried to take a step he staggered.

A moment later, Leanne descended from overhead and landed lightly. "Look!" she said excitedly, holding out a small plastic pot attached to a silver parachute. "This almost landed on me. I think it's for you two."

Ike set Zelgius down as Kita took the pot and unscrewed the lid. The scent that hit the four of them was extremely strong, and definitely medicine. "What is it?" she asked.

"Burn medicine?" Zelgius suggested quietly, his voice halting slightly with his winces.

Kita probed it cautiously with a finger of her right hand, then scraped a bit of it off on her fingers and ran it over her burned arm. The effect was instantaneous; the constant look of subtle pain on her face nearly vanished, and she sighed slightly. "Oh, Goddess," she murmured, "that feels good."

It was all Ike could do not to grab it out of her hands; still, he more carefully took it from her and handed it to Zelgius. The older boy could barely touch anything without wincing, so Ike had to help him unwrap the makeshift bandages before he could apply the medicine. Kita meanwhile got a little more of it and rubbed it onto her arm and hands, while Leanne did a quick look around to make sure no one else was nearby.

Zelgius tried to put the medicine on himself, but after a few moments of struggling with his badly burned fingers trying not to touch anything, he allowed Ike to get it on for him. He sighed slightly in relief as Ike spread it over the boy's burnt and blistered leg. "Thanks," he murmured quietly. Ike nodded as a reply.

They took a few minutes applying the medicine to all of Zelgius and Kita's burns, and then Ike wrapped the pot up in the parachute and stowed it in the small pack. "There's another two hours of decent light still," Zelgius said. "That should be enough to get to the stream and find somewhere to spend the night."

"You three keep going," Leanne said. "I'll go scout around you. Whistle if you need me; I'll whistle if someone's coming."

"Alright," Ike agreed. The other two didn't argue, so it was settled.

Zelgius' leg still hurt, but he didn't need Ike's support now to walk. They got to the stream in an hour, and not long after that they found a good little cave to sleep in. Kita found a few edible plants and they made a small meal out of the remaining rabbit, though Leanne only ate the plants.

The cave was fairly small, but there was enough room for the four of them to squeeze in together to sleep. Leanne got her sleeping bag and rolled up in it, which reminded Ike that he didn't have one; in fact, considering that Zelgius had gotten two, he probably would be the only one without one. He was just settling in next to Leanne and preparing himself for another cold night when Zelgius tossed one of the other sleeping bags on him.

"But you and Kita should have them," he protested, offering it back.

In answer, Kita climbed into the sleeping bag with Zelgius, snuggling up so tightly against him it was hard to tell she was even there. "We'll share," the other boy explained, pulling his hood up.

Ike raised an eyebrow, but didn't do anything else other than get into his sleeping bag.

"Tomorrow, we'll figure out a plan." he announced quietly as they all got settled in.

"Mhmm." Leanne replied. Kita made a small noise in agreement; Zelgius was silent.

Listening to the four of them breathing, all snuggled up next to each other... For the first time since he'd left District 11, Ike felt secure. A sense of home that he hadn't had in a long time...

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ My insomnia is becoming a lingering affliction, it seems. No one else is still awake; I can tell from their breathing, they're all asleep. I suppose it's probably good that I'm awake, so that I can keep watch, but I would still rather be sleeping than this..._

_ This, this lying next to Ike with his headband almost touching my nose. This, Ike practically snuggled up next to me, and Leanne just behind him with her wings unfolded in her sleep, and Kita tightly pressed next to me as she has been almost every night of her life._

_ It's so maddeningly peaceful, I feel like I could be home again. That I could fall asleep and when I wake up Sydelle will be waiting with a smile. That somehow everything is all right. When it's not. In a week, all of us could be dead. If all goes according to my plan, then three of us will be dead by the Games' end._

_ ...I wonder... Would it be a mercy if a Career sneaked up on us now and killed us? Slit our throats while we slept? _Would_ that be a mercy, not having to endure the rest of the Games, not having to struggle through life any longer? A quick, silent death... but, I don't think it will happen. I don't want it to happen, either. If anything, I want one of us to survive this, one of us to return to our district with all the honors—no—the _rewards_ of a victor. The rewards for our district. As far as I know, our three districts are the poorest, mostly because of our usual inability to win the Games._

_ But not this year. This year, we will win. This year, a beorc will return to his home alive. Or a heron, to hers._

_ Or even a Branded. That's what I'm hoping for._

_ And with that thought in mind, and Ike's quiet, steady breathing to lull me, I finally drift off._


	8. Chapter 8

_**IKE**_

When he woke up, Ike found he'd somehow ended up so close to Zelgius their noses were practically touching. For a moment he was confused as to where he was, and then he felt Leanne's slender arm draped over his shoulders, remembered, and relaxed. _Maybe next time, we should find a bigger cave, _he thought wryly as he sat up.

He was trying to be quiet, but that didn't stop Zelgius' eyes from snapping open. As Ike slid out of his sleeping bag and rolled it up, the older boy sat up and silently retrieved his knife.

"How's the leg?" Ike asked in a hushed voice.

"Better," Zelgius replied. He examined his fingers briefly. "My hands, as well."

"Good thing Micaiah managed to pull through with the medicine," the younger boy commented as he stuffed the sleeping bag in his backpack.

"If it was her," Zelgius remarked. "Your mentor may have had something to do with it, too."

"Shinon?" Ike laughed quietly. "Not like he cares. Besides, why would he be helping you? He doesn't seem to like Branded."

"He may have been helping Micaiah. She helped him get through his first year." Zelgius gently slid out of his sleeping bag, careful not to wake Kita.

That was when Ike noticed something curious. A spark of blue on Zelgius' left ear. "Wait a sec... You have an earring?" he asked.

Zelgius blinked. "...Yes."

Ike raised an eyebrow. "...Seriously?"

"What?" Zelgius asked defensively.

"I don't know. It just seems... strange. For you, I mean."

"It was my mother's."

"Oh." Ike frowned. "So... wait... you did already have a district token."

Zelgius shook his head. "Elincia said the review board agreed not to count the earring, since it can't be removed." he explained.

"...Oh." Ike said again. "Um... okay." Out of curiosity, he glanced down at the sleeping Kita. Reaching over, he brushed a lock of hair aside from her right ear, revealing the matching little sapphire.

"...A friend of mine agreed to put them in for us after our mother died." Zelgius said quietly. "As a favor. He was her friend, too."

Ike felt no need to reply. He let her hair fall back and stood up, his hair just brushing the roof of the cave. "We could let them sleep while we get breakfast," he suggested.

"No; we shouldn't leave them here without letting them know where we're going," Zelgius corrected. "And we should start planning how to take out the Careers first, before they're all awake and prowling the hills."

Ike conceded to this logic. "Fine; I guess we still have a bit left over from yesterday. Though I don't know how you plan on taking out the Careers."

Zelgius bent down and gently shook Kita; she awoke almost instantly and sat up without a word. "You remember their strategy in previous years, right?" Zelgius asked.

Ike frowned again. "Yeah, they kill the weaklings in the bloodbath and hunt down the rest of the competition."

"Not that." Kita corrected, quickly picking up the gist of their conversation. "Their strategy concerning their food supplies."

"They always hoard it in one big pile after the bloodbath," Zelgius stated, "and set up their camp around it."

"Oh." Ike nodded. "Yeah, so... what does that have to do with anything?"

"Wake Leanne up." the raven-haired boy said. "We're going to figure out how to destroy their food."

Of course, Ike took some convincing before he agreed that yes, maybe it really _was _possible to take out the Careers' hoard without dying. By that time, they'd already gone on a quick hunting trip and eaten breakfast.

"Still, even if it _is_ possible, how are we going to do it?" he finally asked. "There's five of them and they're all _way _better fighters than us!"

"Not necessarily," Leanne insisted. "I can outshoot both dragons and I'm sure you and Zelgy are much better sword fighters!"

"You might think that, Leanne, but it's probably not true." Ike persisted.

"Then how did you two both get elevens?"

He didn't have an answer to that. "W-well, besides," he said, quickly changing the subject, "who knows what kind of traps they've set? We'd be walking into an ambush!"

"That's exactly why we won't go 'walking' in." Zelgius stated. "And despite that, if you recall the more common Career strategies—which is very well illustrated in the 216th Hunger Games, if you remember them—they tend to spread out through the Arena and hunt down the weak tributes. Thus they'll be leaving one or two behind as a guard, which means we'll outnumber them if they do."

"But they have all the weapons," Ike argued. "All we have are a couple of knives."

"And a spear," Leanne chimed in.

"We lost that yesterday when we were hunting," he reminded her.

"So we won't go charging in to start with." Zelgius said. "That was never my intention, anyway. But I think it would be a good start to check out their base camp first, before we come up with any kind of permanent plan. Maybe we'll get lucky and manage to steal some of their weapons."

"And then what?" Ike demanded. "We fight them head-on? We'd all be dead in an hour."

"I already told you, that was never my intention." Zelgius insisted. "Maybe we can figure out some way to distract them..."

"I agree with Zelgius," Leanne quickly interceded. "We can at least scope them out before we decide anything, right?"

"Same here," Kita added.

Ike glanced back between them, then sighed. "Well, I guess there's no real harm in it. Unless we get hunted down and slaughtered individually."

"Don't be such a pessimist." Leanne got to her feet. "Now, are we going to get moving or are we going to wait around until they catch our scent and track us here?"

So the four of them went south, in the general direction where they guessed the Cornucopia was. They spread out to cover more distance, moving as quietly as possible, though Ike noticed they weren't equally distant, as Kita was fairly closer to Zelgius than he was.

When they finally reached the edge of a cliff, they managed to get a good view of the Cornucopia canyon. "I'd say we're about a mile away, not counting climbing distance," Zelgius mused. "Getting down the cliffs could be a problem..."

"I can help," Leanne said quickly. "I can help support anyone who slips. And I have the galdrar as well!"

"I... Is there no other way down?" Kita asked hesitantly.

Ike glanced at her. "Why? What is it?"

"I... I'm... it..." she stammered.

Zelgius finished it for her; "Ike, she's afraid of heights."

"...Oh." Ike paused. "Sorry, Kita, but I don't think there's any other way down."

She sighed. "O-okay...I'll just..."

Leanne put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry!" she said cheerfully. "I'll be there the whole time; if you slip at all, I'll be right there for you, I promise!"

Kita smiled weakly and nodded. "Yes... T-thank you..."

"The real problem will be finding decent handholds and footholds." Ike said. He looked down off the edge and immediately saw about five good places to put his foot to start with, with another foothold not far down from that. "Or not," he amended.

"Well," Zelgius said, "we have this cliff and another one before we get to the canyon. We'll be extremely open while we're climbing or on the edge, so... Best get started."

_**CAREERS**_

Kurth's hand slipped on the jutting rock and he almost cursed. "I hate climbing," he mumbled.

Medha smirked, leaning down from the top and offering her hand. "Need some help?"

He sighed and reached up to take her hand, and she pulled him up to join the rest of the Careers. "Climbing isn't any of our strong suits," he admitted.

"Except for those of us who don't need to climb," Vika added, unfurling her wings dramatically. "We have... _no_ problem."

Skrimir glared at her. "Well, of course you don't! You can fly! That's hardly an honest comparison!"

She assumed a mock-offended expression. "But I never claimed to be honest! What an insulting assumption! It's like you don't know me at all..."

"Quiet, children." Sakira scolded from further ahead. "In case you forgot, we still have seven tributes to take care of. I'd like to get at least one today."

"Aye, Sakira." Medha said quickly. "Did you get a scent?"

The red lion tested the air and nodded hesitantly. "There...! A bit of wolf."

Skrimir growled. "Oh, I'll be looking forward to this..."

Vika flapped her wings and ascended to look around. "I think I see someone climbing down the cliffs over there," she called, pointing to the cliff-face on the opposite side of the canyon.

The other four looked. "I don't see anything," Kurth said hesitantly.

"Me neither." Medha agreed. "You sure, Vika?"

"No...Maybe it was a trick of the light." She shook her head and sighed.

"...There's beorc and red dragon near, too..." Sakira mused. "We're not far... this should be a breeze." She spun her sword in her hands and started off.

Skrimir shot one last glance at the opposing cliff-face. For a moment, he thought he saw a glimpse of blue; then he shook it off and followed after Sakira.

_**IKE**_

Ike bit his tongue to hold in a curse as his sweaty hand slipped on the rock again. He scrabbled to find a hold and his fingernails dug into a crack as the hold under his left foot broke off, falling some fifty feet to the ground below.

Leanne was by him in a second. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

He nodded, not trusting his breath to speak. A strong gust of wind came in and blew away any chance of his reply.

From below him(and a bit to the right), Kita carefully lowered herself to her next foothold. Her hands were shaky, and beads of sweat stood out on her forehead. "Don't look down, don't look down..." she mumbled to herself repeatedly, keeping her eyes fixed on the stone in front of her.

"Careful up there," Zelgius called, from about ten feet below Kita and having narrowly dodged the rock Ike dislodged.

"I'm doing my best," Ike called back harshly, "but the cliff isn't cooperating."

Kita nearly slipped and both she and Zelgius sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. She readjusted her grip and lowered herself again.

Leanne flew down a bit and turned, looking across at the opposite cliff-face. She frowned. "I think I see a bit of red on the other cliff."

"Is it one of the lions?" Ike asked, sliding down a bit.

Her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus. "I—I don't know, but I think I see—five people? They're going the other way... One is a flier, two of them have red..."

"That would be the Career pack," Ike commented. "That's good. They won't be there when we go down."

"That's strange, though." Zelgius called up. "If all the Careers are there, then who's watching their base camp?"

Leanne's frown deepened. "That _is _strange," she mused. "Maybe they recruited one of the other tributes?"

Thoughts of Mia teaming up with the Careers flashed through Ike's head. He shook those thoughts aside and accidentally lost his footing again; another piece of rock fell down.

Zelgius was a bit slow; the rock scraped his shoulder as it fell. "Watch it!" he snapped.

"Sorry," Ike called again, wincing.

The raven-haired boy finally hit the bottom, stepping away from the cliff and dusting off his hands. Kita slipped slightly and Leanne was there in an instant, catching her and helping her down.

So she wasn't there when Ike slipped again. And this time, as the rock dislodged itself, his sweat-covered left hand slipped and his right hand dragged down the stone, scraping the fingernails bloody. He shouted in alarm, scrabbling for a hand or foothold, but when his right hand touched anything his instinctive flinch caused him to release it again.

"Ike!" Leanne cried in alarm, but she was still holding Kita and helping her descend, so she could do nothing.

Ike's foot slipped again and then he was free-falling, about fifteen feet straight towards solid rock. _This is gonna hurt _flew randomly through his mind. Then; _Why are you thinking about this _now!? _Geez, what're you—_

His train of thought was cut off when he landed. Everything went dark.

_**CAREERS**_

They all figured the camera was on them at the moment. The two lions were in the lead, with the black dragons covering the rear and the raven female flying overhead.

Sakira paused, knelt down and found a track in the dirt. "Someone passed this way recently," she announced. "Small, light steps... Probably one of the girls."

"Think it's the half-breed?" Medha asked, hurrying to catch up with them.

Sakira shrugged. "Possibly... but unlikely, unless she's gotten separated from the other three. Same goes for the heron. This is probably the red dragon or the beorc."

"I call dibs on the beorc," Vika called as she descended lightly beside Skrimir. "She took out Esal, so she's mine."

"You can't get the dibs on _everyone,_" Medha complained.

"She gets it rightfully this time, though," Sakira quickly said. "A sister deserves her revenge, after all." She stepped forward to stand right next to Vika, leaning in close. "But you'll have to find her first," she said quietly.

The raven quickly nodded. "I will find her. Count on that."

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

"That could be a problem," Micaiah mused, watching that interaction on-screen. "If the Careers have a grudge against Mia..."

"She'll be fine," Shinon said. "The raven boy was much more formidable than the girl, and she took _him_ out."

"But the Careers are bound to cheat," Rafiel mused. "Can she take that into account?"

"She'd better."

Then the announcer's commentary began to come in. Shinon winced and quickly retreated, closing his eyes.

Rafiel frowned slightly. "What's that about?"

Micaiah shook her head. "He told it to me confidentially... and he asked me to keep it that way."

_**IKE**_

_ …...The stone is softer than I thought it would be..._

_ ...Almost like... lying..._

_ …..on someone..._

Ike finally opened his eyes to find Leanne's worried face hovering over his. He nearly started and she jumped back with a relieved laugh. "Oh, thank goodness, you're awake! We were worried that something had happened, but we didn't hear the cannon."

The beorc boy groaned slightly and sat up. "How are you feeling?" someone asked, and he turned around to see Zelgius sitting directly behind him. He realized his head had been on the other boy's lap.

"Uh...fine, mostly." Ike replied, then winced when he stood up. His right leg must've been bruised, but other than that he seemed fine.

"It's good that Zelgius caught you when you fell, or you might have broken something." Kita said with a faint smile.

Ike glanced back again as Zelgius stood up. "Oh...er...thanks?"

"Don't mention it."

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ Surprisingly, we don't see any more tributes on the path down towards the central canyon. It's been sunny most of the time, too, and we haven't managed to be greatly stealthy... I can only guess that the Careers didn't see us, but are still on the other side of the canyon, hunting the other tributes._

_ We get down to the cliff above the canyon, and look down there. Everything around the Cornucopia is gone; the Careers probably moved it inside, for the cover. I see no sign of traps in the dirt-packed canyon, and only a brief glimpse of a guard inside; I think it's the Hawk boy, but I can't be certain._

_ "Is that the Hawk?" Ike asks quietly, voicing my thoughts._

_ "I think so," I reply, equally quietly, "but it's hard to tell."_

_ Leanne frowns. "I wouldn't have thought that the Careers trusted anyone else to guard their camp..."_

_ "Maybe he's low on Transform time, so they threatened him." Ike suggests._

_ She shakes her head. "No... I've seen him in training; he knows how to fight Reverted, and they know that too. I would've thought they'd consider him dangerous."_

_ "They do, Leanne." I say. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have thought he was good enough to defend the camp."_

_ She concedes the point. "I suppose you're right."_

_ Our conversation is interrupted when we hear a howl, somewhere to the south. The Hawk runs out of the Cornucopia, holding a spear, and the four of us fall back from the edge a bit. But I see no sign of Volug, and apparently the Hawk doesn't either; he goes back into the Cornucopia after just a minute._

_ "Now if only we had a bow..." Leanne muses quietly, "I could shoot something and get a distraction, and then we could go in there and get some stuff."_

_ "Or you could shoot him." Kita says._

_ No one replies, though she is right. It's just, I don't think any of us really _want _to kill anyone here..._

_ "We should go down there," I say._

_ Ike frowns. "I thought we were just scoping it out, though."_

_ "But Ike, this is so perfect!" Leanne says, quickly seeing my point. "The Careers are on the opposite side of the canyon, hunting. There's only one guard, and four of us. We'll never get a better chance than this!"_

_ Then the howl comes again, and this time, when the Hawk comes out, he moves off to investigate the sound. "Well, then now's our chance," Ike says, and he hurriedly slides over the edge and begins to make his way down. I follow quickly, with Leanne helping Kita get down._

_ This cliff is more solid, and we make it down without anyone falling. It takes us just a few minutes, and then we run to take cover behind one of the stone formations surrounding the river, which we've come down next to. Ike goes out ahead of us, moving almost silently with the practiced ease of a hunter, and Leanne follows just behind him. Kita and I take up the rear._

_ We catch up to Ike and Leanne and look around our cover just as the Hawk is returning to his post. He doesn't even glance our way as he enters the Cornucopia, and as soon as he's quiet again we begin to approach._

_ It's a hundred yards between the river and the Cornucopia. A hundred yards through open, dirt-packed ground; no cover whatsoever. We turn it into more of a dash, trying not to make too much noise. I don't know how we manage to reach the Cornucopia without the Hawk hearing us, but he doesn't come out as we step up to the cold steel walls at the back of the building._

_ Then the howl comes again, from much closer, and we freeze. A moment later the Hawk is out of the Cornucopia; we only just see him moving around the corner, going south a few yards and then stopping, looking around warily. Then he turns around and comes back yet again. I can't see anything, but I hear a sort of whirring right before he enters, so I think he might have pressed some sort of button; either way, I now believe the entrance is trapped._

_ Then Ike visibly starts, and when I glance at him, he points. On the northwestern cliff, there's a little purple speck, crawling down the side._

_ Another glance at Ike, and we both know who it is. Mia._

_ I lose sight of her when she gets to the bottom, but I know she must be coming to the Cornucopia for the same reasons we did. The difference is, when I get a glimpse of her coming around the front, I see she has a sword._

_ She whistles loudly and the Hawk comes out again; he starts when he sees her, then runs at her with his spear. She easily leaps aside, backing up, drawing him away from the building, and I see our chance._

_ So does Ike. He's already moving, running around to the entrance. I follow him just as he stops, aware of a slight ticking sound._

_ Now that I have a good look at the entrance, I see wires running all around the edges. The ticking is coming from the ground where we're standing, and I realize with alarm we must both be standing on mines._

_ Ike realizes this too; he freezes, and when Kita and Leanne run around he puts a hand out to stop them. "Wait. There're mines all over here. Be careful."_

_ Kita immediately stops, and Leanne hovers slightly into the air to move forward. "Is there any way to deactivate them?" she asks._

_ I recall seeing the Hawk push something and bring it up. They both begin looking for some sort of button or switch, but they can't seem to find it. The ticking is speeding up; it feels like my heart rate is increasing with it, as I search for the switch as well._

_ It's Leanne who finally spots it; a little black switch, hidden among the wires. She flicks it and the ticking stops; I cautiously take a step, and when nothing blows up, we decide it's safe._

_ Mia and the Hawk are still fighting somewhere behind us; Ike doesn't hesitate, but runs straight in the building and grabs the first weapon he can find, a sword, before running back out and towards the two fighters._

_ Leanne and Kita run in and immediately begin to put food into the pack there. As I come in and get my own sword, I see a silver parachute and guess where the mines came from. Explosive traps seem like a gift the Gamemakers wouldn't allow, but apparently they decided it would make it more interesting..._

_ I suddenly hear the death toll cannon, and for a moment I panic. When I come out again, though, the three of them are still alive._

_ Ike's already joined in, and the Hawk is losing badly; Mia isn't even in the fight anymore, however, but has fallen back to bandage an injury on her arm. She sees me and our eyes meet for just a moment, and then she runs towards me. I raise my sword defensively, but she isn't attacking me; she dashes straight past, going for the Cornucopia. My mind flies to Kita and Leanne, and I race after her._

_ But she isn't interested in killing; she runs past both the girls, grabbing the pack on the ground, and runs into me as she tries to come out. She takes a wild swing at my head, which I parry, and then rolls past me and makes for the cliffs. I see no point in trying to stop her; she can run faster anyway, so I go to rejoin Ike._

_ He's already knocked the weapon from the Hawk, and the laguz boy is just falling back to Shift when I come out. A moment later he dives upon Ike, and Ike barely manages to dodge._

_ Before any of us can do anything, an arrow appears and strikes the Hawk's wing; the laguz falls from the sky with a scream, crashing hard into the ground. I glance back and see Leanne, silver bow in hand with a quiver hastily slung over her shoulder, another arrow already on the string._

_ The Hawk Reverts and stands up shakily, pulling the silver arrow out of his arm. He sees Ike approaching and turns, running as fast as he can. Ike stops and lets him flee; Leanne returns the arrow to the quiver, and me and Ike return to the Cornucopia._

_ "Why'd you let him get away?" I ask as we walk. "He's with the Careers."_

_ "...I thought he deserved a second chance," Ike mumbles._

_ "You realize that he's just one more person between us and survival?" I have to ask._

_ He nods. "I'm sorry... it won't happen again."_

_ I have the feeling he doesn't mean that._

_ We return to the girls, who have already packed food into Ike's pack and the only other one that was in there. Kita has a spear; Leanne has one of the knives we already possessed, plus the bow;and me and Ike both have swords—relatively low-quality ones, but they will suffice. The rest of it is mostly items we can't or have no use for._

_ "What do we do about the rest of this?" Leanne asks, indicating the supplies left behind._

_ Me and Ike answer in unison; "Burn it."_

_ We dig a box of matches out of the pile of supplies, as well as a wooden club; we light the wood on fire and toss it in, making sure it hits the bedrolls we already piled up in there. The cloth catches easily; we toss the rest of the matches in to join it, and Leanne flicks the switch back to armed before flying out to join us. We give it a few minutes, until the supplies inside is fully burning, and then I toss a rock onto the pressure mines and run back. We then retreat; the mines go off by the time we reach the river, exploding the entrance of the Cornucopia and causing it to collapse. By the time we get to the top off the first cliff, where we started, the Cornucopia is a pile of smoldering rubble and the smoke is all the way to the top of the mountains. The clouds rolled in while we were working, and now it begins to rain, putting an end to the last of the fire that destroyed the Careers supplies._

_ Now...let the _real _Hunger Games begin._

_**CAREERS**_

Sakira screamed in frustration, kicking a loose rock out of the smoking rubble that had once been the Cornucopia. The pouring rain had long put out the fires, but the black smoke wouldn't stop for a while yet.

"It's all gone..." Kurth mumbled, nursing a wound on his shoulder. "All of it... they burned it all..."

"This is the half-breed's doing!" Vika screeched angrily. "He came and destroyed everything!"

"All...gone..." the dragon boy repeated, a strange look in his eyes.

Skrimir and Medha both just stared at the rubble with smoldering eyes.

Sakira ran both hands through her hair and let out a long, harsh breath. "Overreacting...isn't going to get us anywhere." she said, trying hard to keep her voice even. "We...obviously can't get anything from here. Janaff...can't be dead yet, because we heard no cannon... so... he's probably still around."

"I'll take care of him," Skrimir said darkly; he turned and ran off, towards the cliffs.

"The half-breeds are becoming a problem," Medha said darkly. "What can we do about them?"

Sakira paused for a long moment, thinking. "It's not just the half-breeds...The heron and the beorc as well. The whole lot of them is a damned nuisance."

"So, what do we do?" Medha persisted.

The sound of the death toll cannon harshly punctuated Sakira's next words; "We hunt."


	9. Chapter 9

_I LIVE! *crawls out of the hole of writer's block*  
Yes, I'm finally back to working on this one... Somehow my writing seems to have gotten more depressing. Is that just me? If it's true, I apologize...  
Anyway, read on! Reviews are always appreciated, and speaking of which, thanks very much to Legendary Swordsman for the review! It always cheers me up to get one~  
Enjoy!_

_~DarkieDucessa_

* * *

_**CHAPTER NINE**_

_**IKE**_

The four tributes were in a good mood as they climbed back up the cliffs, back towards the caves, river, and sparse woodland near the top. The two full packs were satisfyingly heavy for the boys, and the faint smell of smoke was a reminder of their success. That, and one of their mentors had sent them a rope, which made the climbing a lot easier for Kita. Not even the incessant rain could lower their spirits.

They returned to the river just as the sun was going down, and after a brief search they found a good, well-camouflaged cave to spend the night in—one a bit bigger than the last, to accommodate for their new weapons as well.

On account of conserving their supplies, they ate little, but the Cornucopia food was much more filling than the local supply. They were just finishing when they showed the day's death count. The Hawk boy.

"How many does that leave?" Ike asked quietly.

"Twelve." Zelgius replied instantly. "The five Careers, the four of us, Mia, the Red Dragon girl, and Volug."

"And it's only the fourth day," Leanne mused, "but we've already taken out their supplies, too."

"These Hunger Games are going fast," Kita agreed.

Leanne glanced at her arm. Her time was still **13: 02: 55**; she'd had no other need to Transform as of yet. "I wonder how much time the other tributes have left," she said.

Ike shrugged. "Probably not much..."

"Let's not worry about those things now," the Branded girl said with a smile. "We deserve to take our mind off serious things for awhile."

"Doing that is what'll get us killed," Zelgius said quietly.

Leanne laughed. "Oh, you just don't want to have time alone to think about your secret crush!"

Both the girls laughed as Zelgius reddened slightly. Ike felt a small pang of something in his heart—some emotion that he didn't quite understand.

Was it...jealousy?

A bit later, they got into the cave for the night. Kita and Leanne were out almost immediately, but Ike couldn't sleep. He was thinking about all the family and friends he'd left back home; worrying about Mist and his mother, hoping Lucia and the others were getting by, wondering how Titania was...

And he couldn't stop thinking about Zelgius. About the other boy, and the strange feelings Ike got when he was around...

Ike gave up on sleeping and quietly crawled out of his sleeping bag, then exited the cave, careful not to disturb the others.

The night was cold, as all the nights in the Arena had been, but he barely noticed; he'd experienced worse winters in District 11. He didn't know where to go or what he was doing, so he just walked around and leaned against a nearby boulder, looking up at the sky. There were a lot of stars, and the moon was almost full; but he had to wonder whether any of them were real or if they were all Gamemaker-engineered.

He seemed to sit there for a while, just watching the stars.

"You couldn't sleep, either?" The quiet voice startled him out of his reverie, and he glanced over to see Zelgius standing near him. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly ordered himself to be calm.

"No... Did I wake you?" Ike asked, his voice slightly guarded.

The other boy shook his head and sat down next to Ike. "I'm afraid I suffer from acute prolonged insomnia." After a pause and a glance at Ike's confused expression, he added; "It means I can't sleep. In fact, I hardly ever sleep at all."  
"Why? Just because you're...thinking?" Ike asked quietly.

"Not necessarily...but usually, yes." A pause. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Thinking." Ike replied bluntly. "About..." Well, he couldn't say what he was _really _thinking about. "District 11."

Zelgius waited for him to continue.

"I'm... just... worried about my sister, and Mother, and Mia's family." he added quickly. "I hope they're doing all right without us..." He paused. "Do you have any other family, Zelgius?"

The Branded shook his head. "I have Kita; all the others are dead, or I never knew them."

Ike frowned slightly. "...Then who were you living with? I mean, technically you aren't an adult until you surpass the Reaping age, which means you couldn't live alone...Were you in a community home?"

He shook his head. "Well...for a while, after my mother's death, I pretended she was still alive, so that they wouldn't send us to the home..." He sighed. "I managed to fool everybody for a few years, but then someone found out...a woman by the name of Sydelle. Hawk Branded. A... a distant cousin of my father's. She took care of us and ensured that no one would send us away."

Ike was slightly hesitant to ask the eventual question; "What happened to her?"

"...She died." Zelgius said faintly. "Last year. We ran out of food and she insisted on us eating before her... and then she got pneumonia, and we couldn't afford a doctor. We found out after she died that she actually had some money owed to her by the Head Peacekeeper, which she'd left for us; fortunately the debtor was good enough to uphold his side and pay us back, so we managed to struggle through the winter on that, still pretending that Sydelle and our mother were still alive so that we wouldn't be sent off. ...I don't know how we would have made it through another winter, though..."

Ike didn't know what to say; but he had the feeling words wouldn't be appropriate at that moment. So instead, he leaned slightly closer and slipped his hand into Zelgius'. His heart was pounding a bit faster, and he thought it seemed a fairly pathetic attempt at comfort, but it was all he could think of.

For Zelgius, it was enough.

They sat together for a long time, looking up at the stars. Ike vaguely registered that the moon was now full.

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

"Gah," Shinon said, glancing away from the screen. "I can't stand mushy romance like this."

"Oh, stop it," Micaiah said sternly, watching the screen with interest. "This could be an important draw for sponsors, you know."

"Bleh. I'm gonna go get a drink."

Micaiah rolled her eyes and sighed cheerfully as the man walked off. "Boys."

_**IKE**_

The clouds had rolled back in and it was raining hard when Ike awoke the next morning. Zelgius had gone, probably to check on the girls. Sighing faintly, rubbing rainwater and sleep out of his eyes, he went back to the cave.

They were gone.

He blinked, not quite sure he knew what he was seeing, but his eyes weren't deceiving him. Zelgius, Kita, and Leanne were all gone. No trace was left that they had been there; Ike's equipment was scattered across the floor.

_ Where could they have gone...?_ he asked himself quietly. _Why..._

There didn't seem to be anything to do but pack up his equipment and move on. So he did, his mind still reeling from the shock and confusion of it all.

There were, he figured as he left the cave, only three options. One; they had been attacked by Careers in the night and killed, and the Capitol had recovered their equipment along with the bodies. That didn't seem possible, since he would probably dead too if that had happened, or at the least the sound of three cannons would have woken him. Two; they had gone off to hunt and left him to his rest, planning to return later. That seemed unlikely, judging by how Zelgius had insisted on waking up the girls the day before so they could all stick together.

Three; they had abandoned him.

All in all, Ike didn't know what to think. He didn't think he could trust his heart anymore, and his mind was even more confused. So he just kept walking.

It was lonely, in the rain by himself. It seemed like hours had passed, and the skies had shown no sign of letting up; the lonely blue-haired boy had seen no sign of the friends that had disappeared, either. He didn't quite know where to go; he couldn't fight the other tributes by himself, the Cornucopia was destroyed... all there seemed to be was the endless gray of the stones and the river. He followed the river; it was all he could think of doing, and better than just wandering off into the wilderness.

He had the vague impression of the sun rising and going down; at some point the sky seemed to get darker than it already was, and then he figured it was night. He came to a high cliff; the stone dropped straight down about seven hundred feet to a grassy field below. The river widened at the edge and fell down in a waterfall, pooling at the bottom to create a beautiful, pristine blue lake. Some trees dotted around the water's edge down below, and he even thought he saw splotches of color, like flowers—but when he looked over the edge, the stone was absolutely smooth and flat; there was no way to climb down without a rope, and it would have to be extremely long at that. The rope they'd received the day before had been taken by his friends when they disappeared.

Since he figured it was night now, he found a small nook in a rock and nestled up in there. The rain continued to pour around him, though since he was already soaking wet it wouldn't have mattered much if he'd been out or under cover. He ate a little food from his pack, but despite the fact his stomach felt empty, he wasn't hungry.

The only time the rain let up was for a few brief minutes to play the anthem. There were no tributes in the sky that night; the day had been uneventful.

It also meant that his earlier theory of his friends getting killed was definitely false. Which left the most likely theory as number three.

He didn't like to think about it, but it seemed unavoidable. His friends had abandoned him. _Zelgius _had abandoned him. Right when he'd finally felt as if he had a home, right after their victory, right when he'd actually been _happy_... they had gone and left him alone.

Why? Was it because he hadn't killed the Hawk boy himself, and Zelgius had decided he was worthless? Did they think he was a liability? Or did they think he was too dangerous now, because he was armed, and suspected that he would betray them?

He didn't know.

Strangely enough, some of the rain on his face tasted salty.

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

Micaiah sniffed slightly and wiped away a tear as she watched the forlorn Ike on the screen. "Oh, the poor boy..." she murmured.

Shinon snorted. "Oh, please. Really, Micaiah, you've gotten much too soft. Sponsors don't _go_ for the 'poor-me' look."

"Soft..?" She sighed. "Don't you feel _any_ sympathy?"

"Nah. Don't really care, to be honest."

She sighed again. "Shinon..."

_**CAREERS**_

"I don't see what's taking you so _long,_" Skrimir grumbled.

Sakira stood up from the footprints and spun on him. "Well, maybe you'd like to figure out where those damn half-breeds have gone, then!" she snapped.

"It's not _my_ fault that the rain washed out the tracks!" the lion boy roared.

"It's not mine either, so just shut your mouth unless you have an actual plan!" the girl snarled, her fangs bared.

Kurth shuddered slightly. "O-oh, I h-hate being alone with you two..." he stammered nervously to himself. "W-where could V-Vika and Med-dha have g-gone...?"

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ Oh Goddess. Oh _Goddess._ Why...why did they...why did I...we...why...I have so many questions and none of them seem right..._

_ Why was it just her that found us? Oh, Goddess, no, that's not the right question at all..._

_ Why didn't she wait for him? No...that's not right, either..._

_ Why did I have to leave him? ...No, still wrong..._

_ Ah, finally...the right question..._

_ ...Why does this...hurt...so...much...?_

_**CAREERS**_

Medha Ekard limped weakly through the sparse forest, rain drizzling all around her. Her right arm hung limply, twisted at several wrong angles, and an untended gash on her right leg left a trail of blood behind her, but she didn't care.

She fell to her knees at the edge of the river and shakily tried to cup some water in her uninjured hand to drink; most of it poured back onto the ground before it reached her mouth. She tried again, only marginally more successful, and then went about the task of removing the knife from her arm.

It was lodged in the bone, and she nearly screamed in pain when she tugged on it. Biting a stone to keep from crying out, she wiggled it loose. Blood spurted from the wound; she threw the knife aside and desperately clutched her arm, trying to staunch the flow of blood, but it was no use.

She finally spit the stone out and laughed, almost psychotically. She looked up at the sky, letting the rain pour into her mouth, her eyes, down her arm, washing away the blood. "Feel like sending anything down?" she called, hoping the cameras were on her and her mentor was watching this.

There was no answer. She chuckled. "I always knew Kurth was your favorite. Ah, well...not like either of us did very well to begin with, compared to the others..."

She heard a distant wolf's howl and laughed again. "Come and get me, dog!" she screamed. "I'm here! Just come and get me!"

Subtly her hand reached for the knife.

_**IKE**_

The blue-haired boy was startled out of sleep by the death toll cannon. He shot straight up, slightly panicked, wondering if the killer was nearby.

_I hope it wasn't Zelgius who died,_ he realized he was thinking. Then he scolded himself; _You idiot! Zelgius abandoned you! He's no more of an ally than...anyone..._

He had the distinct feeling he was lying to himself. Just in case the cameras were on him, he made sure his face was emotionless before he got up again.

The rain still poured, and within a minute he was soaked to the bone. Holding his sword carefully, he tried to listen for footsteps or anyone nearby, but the rain drowned out all other sounds. He supposed that was sort of a good thing, since it meant that the rain was heavy enough to hide his scent as well, and wash away his tracks. He could return to his sleeping spot, and so long as no one stumbled by the exact right boulder, he would be perfectly hidden.

He was just turning to go back again when he heard the beginnings of the Capitol anthem. He realized it must be night, though the clouds were so thick it was impossible to tell. He looked up at the sky, and saw that the rainclouds had parted in a perfect square shape to show the seal of the Capitol—how the Gamemakers had pulled that off, he had no idea.

Then a picture of a tribute came up—a picture of the one who'd died. Medha Ekard. Then the anthem finished, the lights disappeared, and the clouds filled in the gap after a few seconds.

_Not Zelgius._ He allowed himself an inward sigh of relief. _Not Kita, or Leanne...but a Career. I wonder how that happened..._

_ I wonder if it was Zelgius that killed her._ For some reason, the thought of that made him shudder.

Then he heard a scream.

_**LEANNE**_

_ I don't think I've ever been this terrified in my life._

_ No; I was, once before. When I stood in the square of District Seven and heard my name called. When I had to tear myself away from my little brother, and stand up on that stage, and be treated as if I were some kind of hero, when I wanted nothing more than to run away. I remembered my sisters, my brothers' deaths, televised everywhere for everyone to see._

_ Some things should never be shown. Not like that. I imagined my own death being shown on those screens and then I couldn't stop the tears._

_ But that was a different kind of fear. That was an anticipated fear, a fear of what I knew was to come, a fear for the ones who my death would devastate._

_ This fear is different. This fear is _rash.

_ I'm hanging by a fingernail from a smooth, polished wet rock, dangling hundreds of feet over a lake, a hole in my wing and only three arrows in my quiver._

_ I'm going to fall. I'm going to die._

_ The raven circles overhead in her Reverted form, a bloodied spear in her hands. Her face is twisted in a cruel grin as she looks down at me, struggling to hold on._

_ "How does it feel, bitch?" she calls. "How does it feel to be powerless? How does it feel when you face your imminent end?" Why does she say such things, when she's never had such a feeling herself? I have. I have felt it many times._

_ I drag myself up a little and she swoops down, jabbing at my hands. I'm forced to let myself slip or she'll impale my fingers and I'll never be able to hold on. I bite my tongue, determined not to scream again._

_ She laughs cruelly, then flies down at me with a yell. "This is for Esal!"_

_ Esal? He was the raven boy. I didn't kill him. Why am I being attacked for doing something I did not?_

_ Oh, Mother...Father..._

_ Vika shrieks suddenly, falling backwards away from me. I'm confused as to why, before I see a steel sword embedded in her leg._

_ There's only one person I know who can do that. I look up through the rushing water, and for a moment I think I see a dark form run across the river. My heart skips a beat._

_ Still, I can't take the time to think about it. The raven's distracted; this is my chance. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I flap my wings and ascend._

_ I make it to the top of the waterfall and collapse on the edge of the river, just as Vika lands not far away, pulling the sword out of her with a small cry. Then I lose sight of her as a dark form runs in front, grabbing the sword back and coming around to stand in front of me._

_ Ike! You're here! You came for me...!_

_ Vika snarls and gets to her feet, and so do I. "You'll be sorry, little beorc!" she growls, readjusting her grip on the spear and flapping her wings to keep her hovering just above the ground._

_ "I would've been more sorry if I'd let you kill her," he replies flatly._

_ "Ike!" I say, and I can hear the relief in my voice._

_ "Leanne, stay back!" he says quickly. "You're injured."_

_ "She'll be dead soon enough!" Vika shouts, charging at Ike and swinging the spear down in an overhead blow. He parries and slashes back at her; she flies backwards to avoid it and comes in again._

_ Shakily, the wounds in my wing and hands still hurting, I get to my feet. I dropped my pack when I was hanging, but I managed to keep hold of my bow, and now I set one of my last arrows on the string._

_ Ike and Vika are fighting full-out now, and it's hard to tell who's winning. Vika has the advantageous weapon, and she can fly out of reach when she needs to, but Ike is obviously stronger and has a speed I never saw in him before. I don't like to take chances, however; the raven has to die, _has _to die, and I don't know if Ike can do it... if Ike can kill someone._

_ I don't think I can either, but...if I have to..._

_ Vika screams and falls to the ground as Ike slashes her wings; black feathers go flying, are whisked away by the wind. Rain drips off the sword as my friend levels it at the raven—and then I see it; his hesitation, his reluctance..._

_ He doesn't want to kill. He _can't. _Not like this._

_ And I see Vika, her eyes locked on Ike's, subtly reach for her spear—and, without thinking, I aim my bow and fire._

_ She jerks in pain and Ike starts as an arrow appears in the raven's side. I missed the heart, but I at least hit a lung._

_ With a scream of anger and pain, she rolls over the spear and picks it up; Ike lunges for her, and she raises the spear at him. He nearly runs right into it; and that's when I shoot a second time. The arrow slams into Vika's arm, and she cries out again._

_ Oh, Goddess. I don't want to do this..._

_ Ike glances back at me, surprised; Vika takes the opportunity to raise her spear again, and I reach for my last arrow—_

_ What? No more arrows? I—I was sure I—_

_ I feel a sudden pain, a pain that makes me gasp and drives all the wind out of me, suddenly I can't breathe—_

_ …...I was sure I had three..._

_ Vika slumps over; I think Ike stabbed her. He shouts in disbelief, runs to my side; I collapse, weakly pulling out the spear protruding just above my stomach. He catches me as I stumble backwards into the river; my blood pours into the waters as he tries to staunch the wound, keep all the rest of it from pouring out._

_ The raven cackles weakly. "Hah...ha...that's...the end of you...bitch." she says. Then her voice fades, and the cannon sounds, and I know she is dead._

_ Oh, Goddess...my brothers..._

_ "Leanne!" Ike cries. "Don't—wait—_no_!"_

_ "Ike..." I say. "I'm...sorry...I didn't...wake you up."_

_ "Leanne...Why?" he asks. "Why did you leave? Why did Zelgius..."_

_ He has to know. He has to forgive him. "He...was...protecting...you." I rasp. "The...dragon...Zelgius...had to...had to..."_

_ Rafiel...I'm so sorry._

_ "Please hold on," Ike says. "Don't go. Don't die!"_

_ He has to forgive him. He _has _to. Or he will... "Ike...Please..." I beg. "I can see...into your...heart. Find...find him...forgive him...please..."_

_ Riley, little brother..._

_ When he speaks again, his voice is quieter. "I...I'll...try. I promise."_

_ I feel my life slipping away, feel the darkness creeping in—_

_ Riley, don't watch...!_

_**IKE**_

He felt Leanne's life ebb away in his arms and knew it was pointless to try and stop it. He knew that the cameras would be on him—just _knew,_ knew that the Gamemakers wouldn't miss the chance to show the heron's death, and his reaction to it—and he struggled to keep his face emotionless, struggled to remain strong.

She seemed so..._small._ Helpless. How could anyone have wanted to kill her, this lonely young girl from District 7?

He suddenly felt a touch of regret, on top of the emotions he was already experiencing. Back in the Training Center, before the private sessions... He'd promised to sing for her someday. It had been a stupid thing to promise, since they both knew at least one of them would die in the following two weeks—but he'd made that promise, and now, as she was dying, he didn't think he would ever fulfill it.

He knew he should sing for her. He remembered her mentioning the Final Rites, and thought perhaps he should sing that—but then, he'd never heard it sung before, and he didn't know how to.

Then a different song came to mind—a lullaby that his mother had sang to him and his sister, when they were children...

He didn't know if it was exactly appropriate, but he didn't care—and he quietly began to sing;

_ Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_ A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

_ Lay down your head, and close your eyes_

_ And when they open, the sun will rise..._

He felt Leanne shudder in his arms and knew she wouldn't last much longer. He doubted she could even hear him. But he still had to finish...if only for her;

_ Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_ A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

_ Forget your woes and let your troubles lay..._

His voice quavered as she shuddered again, and his breath seemed to come to him even as it left her;

_ And when it's morning, they'll wash away._

In the trees all around, the _Irotonimagem_ began to hauntingly echo his song.

"Ike..." Leanne whispered, her voice barely audible. "Your voice...it's...beau...ti...ful..."

And she breathed her last.

A cannon sounded. Ike couldn't hear a thing but Leanne's words, echoing endlessly in his head. He stayed firm, and not a tear came to his eyes—but it hurt, it hurt so much...

Thousands of miles away, in the seventh district of Tellius, thousands of Herons sang in a haunting rendition of the Final Rites, a harmonic of voices that would likely never be heard all together again.

All across the Capitol, all across Tellius, in the small households of Greil and Wayu and so many more like them, tears trickled down the faces of the watchers as the heron girl's life faded.

And a young heron boy choked down a sob as his sister died on the screen; as the cannon sounded; as Ike slowly stood and walked away.


	10. Chapter 10

_**CHAPTER TEN**_

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ I saw Leanne's face in the sky tonight._

_ I had known she would die, but...I didn't realize how much it would hurt._

_ ….At least..._he _isn't gone yet, as well..._

_ "Leanne..." Kita breathes sadly. "I—I thought—she would—"_

_ "It doesn't matter," I intercede, making sure my face is expressionless. "She is one less for us to kill later. Let's go."_

_ My sister meets my eyes, and she knows I am hurting. She does have Heron blood, after all. But she also knows she is powerless to help me, not without making me look weak—and so she says nothing, but follows faithfully behind me._

_ We have to keep moving. Medha Ekard is dead, and so is Vika Swift, but the other three Careers are still out there somewhere, not to mention Volug and Mia and the Red dragon, and we cannot relax. Relaxing is what made us leave _him_ behind..._

_ We rest for a short while before sunrise; then we are moving again. The rain has finally stopped, so our tracks will now be clearer than ever; we cannot afford to stay in one place for too long._

_ The day is mostly uneventful. All that does is give me more time to think about _him...

_ Why...why did I have to leave him? I could have woken him, taken him with us...I could have gone back, found him again...then...maybe this pain wouldn't be so great..._

_ Well, I know the answer to that question. The pain is my answer._

_ If walking away from him hurts this much...then I can't afford to stay with him._

_ Or killing him will kill me._

_**IKE**_

The death toll cannon sounded only once throughout the course of the day after Leanne's death—something that Ike was slightly grateful for; it meant that these damn Games would be over that much sooner.

Nobody bothered him; indeed, he didn't see a single soul, and with Leanne gone, he didn't see any of the _Irotonimagem_ either, though he could hear them all around. He heard a wolf's howl, once; and then, a roar of a dragon—the Red, he guessed, from the sound—which came shortly before the cannon. He assumed it was she that had died; though whether Volug had been the killer, or if it had actually been Volug who was killed, he didn't know.

He couldn't bear to be near the river. The whole thing seemed to reek of Leanne's blood, and it hurt. He veered away into the hills, hoping he would find some other water supply.

The day slowly passed, and he contemplated what he'd done. He'd been abandoned by Zelgius. He'd failed to protect Leanne.

And he'd killed someone, something he'd promised himself he would never do. He had stabbed Vika even as the spear left her hand, an instinctive reaction, something he'd tried to stop—but it had already been too late.

_I failed, _he thought miserably. _I failed to protect her, I failed to keep my promise, I—_

_ I failed to get unattached,_ he finally realized. _That's my failing. I was stupid enough to become friends with the other tributes, even though I knew they were going to die—_

_ I can't do that again. I can't let myself get attached again, get _hurt_ again. Even if—even if that means breaking my promise to Leanne._

_ Oh, Goddess. I can't. I can't break that last promise...but I can't go and find Zelgius, or I'll..._

_ What do I do?_

_**CAREERS**_

Sakira let out a small cry of triumph. "Yes!"

"What is it?" Skirmir demanded, his eyes flashing in the darkness of the night.

"I've found the trail!" She bared her teeth in a savage grin. "The half-breeds won't get away this time!"

"Let's go!" the lion boy roared. The pair of them Shifted in unison, and ran down the trail.

Kurth shuddered slightly. "If it's all the same to you, I'll stay here." he murmured, even though the lion pair was long gone.

_**IKE**_

He was looking for somewhere to spend the night and just starting to wonder if perhaps going back to the river _wasn't_ such a bad idea when he heard a familiar scream. _Kita!_

_ Oh, no..._ He'd just decided _not_ to get attached again, but every instinct in his body screamed at him to go to her aid.

_ I can't...if I go, _he'll _be there! I can't let my feelings..._

Before he knew what he was doing, he was running towards the sound.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ By the Goddess, they're stronger than I expected...everything...hurts...!_

_ Kita, no! Run! I can—_

_ What...? What are you...?_

_ …...NO! Get BACK!_

_**IKE**_

He had just reached the foot of the hill and was trying to figure out where to go next when he heard a lion's roar and Kita cry out again. Instantly he turned to the noise and started running again; it took barely a few seconds before he stumbled upon the scene of battle;

The two lions, both fully Shifted, had tracked down Zelgius and Kita. The larger of the lions, Skrimir, was bearing down on Zelgius savagely, and the Branded boy was having a hard time of holding him off—

Particularly since the other lion, Sakira, was standing over the fallen Kita, pale green claws digging into the girl's shoulders, fangs bared and ready to tear her throat out. And then, as Ike came over, Skrimir slammed sidelong into Zelgius, knocking him down, and roared, baring fangs sharper than any sword, raising one paw with claws out over the Branded boy's face.

Ike didn't pause; he didn't think; he did what came naturally;

He threw his sword.

Skrimir screamed in pain as the full length of Capitol steel buried itself in his side, narrowly missing his heart. Sakira glanced up in alarm, temporarily distracted from Kita; Zelgius took this opportunity to slash at her feet, not even taking the time to move away as the lion over him collapsed. The full six-hundred-some pounds of lion fell on his legs; there was an audible, sickening crunch, and the boy couldn't hold back his scream.

Sakira jumped back as Ike ran down the hill full-out, shouting to get her attention, not thinking of anything but getting her distracted and away from Zelgius. Kita scrambled to her feet, recovering a knife she must've dropped earlier.

Sakira crouched and leapt; Ike dove into a roll, narrowly missing the lion's claws, and stumbled roughly to his feet. There was a sword on the ground, which Zelgius must've dropped; Ike picked it up and stood in front of the Branded boy protectively. Kita ran past him and struggled to push Skrimir's body off of her brother. The lion snapped at her and she jerked her hand back to avoid getting it snapped off—though she wasn't quite fast enough, and her hand got torn open by one fang. Skrimir struggled to get to his feet; the wound was almost certainly fatal, but he was still dangerous.

There was a ripple of light over Sakira and the lion straightened into her Reverted form, sliding a sword out of her belt. "Well, isn't this nice," she spat. "Come back to protect your 'friend'?"

"I will not let you touch him," Ike growled angrily.

"Oh, really? Hah! You haven't been doing a very good job of _that _so far!" With a shout she leapt forward, swinging down at Ike—but before she even got there, a wolf seemingly flew out of the brush, slamming into her sideways and sending her flying. She landed hard on her left arm; jumping to her feet, she growled at the huge wolf that now circled her ominously.

Knowing that Volug would be more concerned with her rather than them for now, Ike spun around to the others. Zelgius struggled to push Skrimir off of him, but the lion was doing his best not to budge; Kita couldn't try to help without him twisting around to snap at her.

Without even thinking, Ike stabbed Skrimir through the heart. The lion died instantly, the cannon echoing loudly in their ears; Kita gasped slightly in shock.

Ike, feeling no remorse this time and starting to wonder if killing was becoming a habit, pulled both swords out of the lion's body and shoved it off of Zelgius, even as it Reverted back into normal form. Zelgius pulled his legs back and cut off a cry of pain.

"Zelgius!" Ike cried, falling to the boy's side.

"Ike," the Branded said wearily. "You fool...you should've...left us..."

"I couldn't ever abandon you," the beorc replied, even as Sakira and Volug's cries and snarls of battle could be heard behind him.

"This is bad, this is bad, this is bad..." Kita fretted, ignoring the blood pouring from her shoulders from where Sakira's claws had dug into them.

"Kita... Calm down." her brother said quickly. "Try to...stop the bleeding."

Then they heard a shout of surprise and the wolf cry in pain, and Ike got up and turned around. Volug had been torn violently away from Sakira and thrown against a boulder by a huge, imposing Black Dragon. It didn't fly, but remained on the ground; its mouth was bloody from biting into Volug, and as the wolf got weakly to its feet Ike saw the fang-marked gashes all down its sides.

"Kurth..." Sakira said, surprised. "I didn't think you'd be brave enough to show."

The Black Dragon shuddered and Reverted into a short green-haired boy, who looked at Volug nervously. "I...I didn't m-mean to throw him q-quite so hard..."

"Oh, stop whining and grow up." Sakira snapped. "Kill him! I'll deal with the half-breeds." Ike tensed angrily at her words, raising his sword in defense again.

Kurth approached Volug cautiously; the wolf snarled but was in obvious pain. "I...I..." he stammered.

"Kill him!" Sakira shouted. "Kill him now!"

Then Ike heard a shout—and the voice was awfully familiar. "Mia!?" he asked incredulously as the violet-haired girl leaped off the top of the hill, using all the momentum of her fall into one sweeping downward blow. Sakira barely turned to block in time, and grunted almost painfully at the effort; the beorc girl flipped back, landing in a crouch, one hand down to steady herself.

"Run, you idiot!" she shouted.

"Of course not!" Ike retorted.

"Oh, you never did do what you were told when it was _important,"_ she fumed, even as Sakira rushed to attack her in a rage.

Volug shuddered again in pain and Reverted; several bloody gashes ran down his front, and Ike could see that the green numbers on his arm read **00: 00: 00**. His time had finally run out. "Finish it." he said, his voice halting and rough.

"I d-don't want to k-kill you..." Kurth murmured faintly.

"Then don't," Volug said flatly.

"S-Sakira said I h-have to...I...I-I'm sorry..." The boy raised his dagger, ready to attack.

Ike dashed forward suddenly and sliced the boy's arm, causing him to yelp and drop his weapon. "Go," he said darkly.

Kurth needed no encouragement; he turned and ran.

Volug stared at the beorc as he turned to face him. "You don't need to help me," he said flatly.

Ike nodded. "I know." He glanced over at Sakira and Mia, who were still locked in a duel—then to Zelgius, struggling to get up, even as Kita told him not to. "But you did the same for me. So I had to return the favor."

The wolf nodded, understanding. "Go to them. He needs you." Then he turned and dashed into the sparse forest, after Kurth—apparently he still had some strength left in him.

Ike turned and went back to Zelgius. "Come on," he said. "We should get out of here before they finish."

"But he can't stand..." Kita fretted. "His legs are broken...!"

"My legs...will be...fine." Zelgius said haltingly.

Ike looked down at them; they were bloody and mangled, and seemed to have been shattered in multiple places. "No, they won't." he said flatly. "You can't stand on those!"

"If I can't...carry my own weight..." Zelgius said, "...you'll have to...leave me."

"Don't be stupid," Ike scolded, dropping his sword beside him. "I'll carry you. Hold on."

Bending down, being as careful as he could to not hurt the other boy's legs when he held them, he picked Zelgius up. The Branded boy bit his tongue again as pain shot up his body, and the beorc boy struggled with the awkward position, but they managed.

Kita, still bleeding from several wounds, retrieved their swords and followed them as they walked away from the duel, into the darkened woods.

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

Micaiah was trying not to grin.

"What're you so happy about?" Shinon grumbled. "Your star tribute just got his legs broken."

"Oh, nothing..." she said.

Rafiel, his eyes still red from crying over his sister's death, put on a brave smile. "At least they're safe." he said. "For now..."

"Well, unless the girl manages to kill the lion, they won't be for much longer." the beorc said. "Ike is an idiot. He should've left the half-bre—the Branded when he had the chance."

She glared at him. "You just don't understand anything, do you?" she asked harshly.

"Hey, I understand that an ally with broken legs is no use to anyone at all!"

"Well, I have a way to remedy that." Micaiah crossed her arms and smirked.

"...You aren't mooching sponsors off _me _this time."

"I won't. I already have everything I need...almost."

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ It seems like hours have passed before we find a good cave to rest in. My legs feel like they are on fire, but I manage not to cry out as Ike sets me down. "How do you feel?" he asks._

_ "Like hell," I reply, which is the truth. "Is Kita alright?"_

_ My sister sits down beside me and puts on a brave smile. "I'm alright, Zelgius."_

_ I can see that the wounds Sakira and Skrimir inflicted are still bleeding; she hasn't even stopped to bandage them. "Kita," I say patiently, "how many times have I told you to bandage yourself as soon as possible when you're injured?"_

_ She glances aside, ashamed. "Forty-two. I'm sorry...I was just so worried about everything else, I forgot."_

_ Ike pulls off his jacket, then his shirt, and tears several strips of cloth off of the latter. "Here. Use this," he says, handing Kita the strips._

_ For some reason, I find myself staring at Ike's chest. Long scars cross it, and, when he turns, I see them on his back as well. He's been whipped many times—still, he's...he's very..._

_ The thought that comes to mind makes me blush slightly. Hopefully the others don't notice._

_ Ike pulls what's left of his shirt back on. "Let's pray to Micaiah that she'll send a couple nice, sterile splints for your legs," he says, trying to be cheerful. "Or something."_

_ "Hah..." I say quietly. "Imagine how much something like that would cost..."_

_ He laughs. "Yeah, it's a longshot, isn't it...? Well..." He goes through his pack and produces two bags of dried fruit and half a loaf of bread. "This is all I have left from the Cornucopia. Uh...What happened to your guys' packs?"_

_ "Lost them." I reply flatly._

_ Ike waits for a moment to see if I'll elaborate. When I don't—I don't really feel like describing how the Black Dragon girl destroyed our packs, even as I fought her to keep her away from the girls, and him—he says; "I'll go hunting tomorrow."_

_ We eat a little, but none of us have much appetite. Ike has to tear off almost half of his shirt before Kita finishes bandaging all her wounds. Then we go to sleep. Ike gently puts his sleeping bag over me as a blanket, and then he and Kita curl up on either side of me, to share their body heat. I don't protest, because I'm already half asleep._

_ But still, once again I find myself the only one awake, with my sister and Ike sleeping right beside me. And once again, I feel such happiness that it can only be accompanied by dread._

_ What will I do, when the Games force me to kill this person that I care so much about?_

_**IKE**_

When morning dawned, Ike woke up with the first realization that none of them had seen the death count for the previous day. The second realization he had was that...

Zelgius was very comfortable. _Very._ For a long moment, Ike considered pretending he was still asleep, so he could keep lying there...

Then he got up, slightly annoyed with himself. _Stop being stupid. You have the Games to play; there's no time for thoughts like that._

Retrieving his sword from where Kita had left it against the wall, he stepped outside. The sky was the same shade of grayish-blue it had been almost the entire Games, even when it had been raining. The sun seemed muffled and distant, and the green of the sparse forest seemed to have dulled. He wondered if he was imagining it, or if the Gamemakers had done something to make everything seem dull and colorless.

He distantly recalled that he'd killed Skrimir yesterday, but for some reason, it didn't bother him as much as Vika's death had. But...after all, the lion had been about to kill Zelgius, and the raven had just been his first kill, was all...

It did hurt, when he thought about it—but then, thinking of Leanne fading into death in his arms, he managed to cast those thoughts aside.

He went over the list of remaining tributes in his mind; _Me, Zelgius, Kita...Kurth is likely still __alive, and I don't know about Volug, Sakira, or Mia...the Red Dragon girl must be dead, though._

_ Still...there's probably at least five of us left. One is me, two are my friends, one might be my enemy, and one might be my old friend..._

_ I get the worst of luck. Damn. The odds were never in my favor to start with, were they? I was either gonna die, or get stuck killing or being killed by my friends..._

_ I just hope I won't have to end up fighting Zelgius, and...hurt him._

_**CAREERS**_

Sakira slumped down next to a tree, grimacing as she rubbed the bandaged gash on her left arm. "Damn beorc," she muttered to herself. "You'll be next, as soon as I find your trail..."

"But then again," she amended, "those half-breeds will be easiest to take out now, while the boy's legs are broken. They'll likely still have the beorc boy with them..."

She took a drink from the water flask on her hip and growled contentedly. "He'll have to hunt. If I find them while he's out...I can kill both at once."

Reaching in her pack, she drew out a small, clear cylindrical silver vial, only about three inches tall and one inch diameter. It was half-filled with a pale green liquid; she flexed her fingers thoughtfully, glanced at the green that still glistened on her fingernails, and grinned cruelly.

"Or I could wait for this to take effect," she murmured, "and let them sort out their difficulties themselves."

_**ZELGIUS**_

_ I wake up slowly to find that Ike's already gone. He must've gone hunting, and left us behind to rest. The thought briefly crosses my mind that he might've abandoned us, like we did to him, but it doesn't stay—I don't believe he would willingly do that, not as willingly as I._

_ The pain from my broken legs hits me again in a rush, and I bite my tongue hard to keep from crying out. I may put a scar on it from biting the same place so much._

_ I wait a few minutes for the agony to subside a little, as I grow accustomed to it. I become aware of a foul smell, like something rotting, but I don't know where it could have come from._

_ Kita wakes up a few moments after I do. "Brother," she says softly, sitting up._

_ "Kita," I reply._

_ "Did Leanne go out?"_

_ ….Something is wrong. "Leanne is dead, Kita. Don't you remember?"_

_ "Oh. Sorry. I meant Ike. You know how I'm always confusing those two..." She giggles._

_ Something is most definitely wrong with her. She's never giggled in her life. "Are you feeling alright?"_

_ "Oh, yes, I'm fine." she says. She rubs her left shoulder absently, then the right one. "All ramped up for my first reaping day!"_

_ "Kita..."I say warningly._

_ "What? Oh, right, we're not supposed to get happy about that...Whoops!" She laughs and gets up, stretching, more cheerful than I've seen her in years._

_ I've rarely seen her this happy; our lives are terrible enough that she almost never has reason for it. It warms my heart to see her with such a bright smile on her face, but this...this is unnatural._

_ I reach up and grab her by the sleeve. "Kita, sit down. You're not well."_

_ "Are you kidding? I feel great!" She pulls herself away from me and dances around—then suddenly spins and yelps "Ah! No—don't! Don't hurt Father!" She lunges forward and bounces off a low part of the ceiling. Blood trickles down her forehead as she looks around, confused._

_ "Kita!" I try to get to my feet, then remember my broken legs as pain shoots up my body. "Ah!"_

_ "No!" She rushes to my side. "Sydelle, I told you not to give us all the food! You'll get sick!"_

_ She...mistook _me_ for _Sydelle_? My Goddess..._

_ I grab her by the arm. "Kita, what's happened to you?"_

_ "Oh, Sydelle, don't be so rough!" She laughs and lies down against me, absently reaching up to scratch at her shoulder. "Oh, fine, I'll go to bed...just...Tell Zelgius good night for me when he gets home, okay? He...he really shouldn't pull so many... extra... shifts..." She sighs and suddenly she is asleep._

_ I can't imagine what's happened to her—she's eaten nothing that I have not, and she hasn't been wounded, except for when Sakira clawed her—_

_ Clawed. _Claws._ Sakira had _green_ claws. Why didn't I realize it sooner!?_

_ I try to pull the bandage off her shoulder, but it seemed to be stuck over the wound. Frowning, I give it an extra tug, and it peels away._

_ I gasp in horror._

_ The three slashes, which should have scabbed over by now, are still weeping. The flesh around them is coated with a discolored mass of oozing, vile fluid. The rotting smell I noticed earlier is all too evident. But perhaps worst of all is the flesh on the rest of her shoulder. It is swollen to almost twice its normal size, and the entire thing is discolored. A sickly yellow around the wound gradually gives way to a dark blue tone, shot with bands of livid red. I touch her shoulder gently with one finger; her skin is hot to the touch. I don't even want to try to look at the other shoulder, but I know it is much the same way._

_ Poison. Sakira's mentor must have sent it to her. I quickly try to remember if I or Ike were hit by her, but I don't recall being attacked by anyone but Skrimir, and I'm fairly sure Ike dodged her attacks. That doesn't change Kita's state, however. I've never seen this poison before, but I have a dread feeling that it's deadly._

_**IKE**_

Ike returned to the cave in fairly good spirits. His hunting had gone rather well, as he'd discovered that you actually _could _kill a rabbit by throwing a sword at it, if you were careful. He'd found a few berry plants he'd recognized from his district, and picked a few.

He entered the cave to find Kita slumped against the wall, Zelgius leaning over her. The Branded boy turned as Ike entered; the beorc instinctively gasped and recoiled at the sight of Kita's wound. "Oh my Goddess," he said, horrified.

Zelgius looked up at him, and Ike saw terror in his eyes. "Help her...!"

Two hours later, and Kita had yet to wake up. The two boys had cleaned her wounds, and Ike had found a few healing herbs his mother had taught him to recognize, which seemed to have helped a little. Zelgius was almost sick with worry, and Ike was now trying to get him to eat.

"Zelgius, you need your strength," the beorc coaxed, offering the older boy a piece of the rabbit he'd skinned and cooked earlier.

"I can't eat right now!" Zelgius snapped. "I'm not hungry, anyway."

"You aren't helping Kita by starving yourself."

"Yes, I am, in fact."

Ike blinked. "What?"

"If I die, she's that much closer to winning. So starving myself _is_ helping her."

"She can't win if she's stuck dying in this cave!" Ike said, frustrated.

"Don't remind me."

"Zelgius, you want to protect her. You can't protect her if you're starved to death!"

"I can't protect her with broken legs, either. You should've left us!"

"I'm not going to leave you!"

"Why not? I... I left _you."_

There was a pause of silence. "...You didn't abandon me." Ike said slowly. "You...didn't. Leanne said..."

"I left you." Zelgius said again. "I took Kita and our equipment, and I left."

"Why?"

"Because it was too dangerous."

"Dangerous? How could I be dangerous!? You know I would never hurt you, or Kita!"

"_Everyone _will hurt their friends eventually in order to survive. Even the most noble of people, the most trusting of lovers, will betray each other for their own sakes!"

Ike's eyes widened, and the disbelief was evident in his voice; "You can't honestly believe that."

"It's true." the Branded boy said firmly. "You have not lived as long as I; you haven't seen what I have. You haven't seen your own mother turn her husband and son in to the Peacekeepers so they'd give her the reward for catching poachers, when they'd only done it so she could survive! You haven't seen an innocent girl, tossed aside like she was nothing by her master when he learns that she's become pregnant with _his _child! You haven't seen Sydelle—" Zelgius choked and looked down at the ground, clenching his fists.

It was a long moment before Ike could reply; "From...from what you've told me, Sydelle was...a good person. She cared for you...over her _own _life."

"She...sold me out." the Branded boy said haltingly. "She tricked me into getting caught for...something I never did. The money she got...was enough to keep us alive for a month...but the punishment nearly killed me in itself. I had...nightmares about it, for years afterwards. I...still do. It's why I hardly ever sleep." Subconsciously he reached up and touched the scar running across his right eye; in that instant, the beorc boy knew where it had come from. "She took care of us, and I am grateful for that—but when the chance came, she sold her family out for money and food, just the same as anyone. She was no better than the rest."

Ike put a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Zelgius...not everyone is evil in this world." he said softly. "I'm sure there have been plenty of good things, happy things, that have happened to you and your family...but you only remember the bad things, because they hurt you."

"Good things? _Happy _things?" He laughed humorlessly. "I had the happiness beaten out of me over ten years ago. Goodness does not exist in this world—only manipulation, only selfishness and concern for personal gain."

Ike looked from Zelgius to Kita and back again. "That's not true." he said decisively. "You volunteered to protect your sister. You _are _a good person, Zelgius. I know you are!"

Zelgius looked up to Ike, meeting his eyes sadly. "How can you say that, after I...abandoned you?"

Ike laughed slightly. "I don't care. I swear, Zelgius, I don't give a damn. I don't care what you've done in the past and I don't care what you did to me and I don't care what you think you might do or I might do because you're my friend and I would trust you with my life!" He said the sentence all in one breath, and was a little short of air after it. And he knew that every word was true.

The Branded boy coughed slightly and looked down at the ground. Absently he rubbed his leg. "I don't... deserve your trust." he said after a moment. "I don't deserve anyone's. I'm a terrible person. I abandoned you... without a thought. I've sworn to kill anyone and everyone that gets between me... and the fulfilling of my goal."

Ike paused briefly. "...And...what is that goal?"

"That...is a secret."

"Come on. Tell me. Winning the Games?"

"...I don't see why you would care."

"Don't see why—" Ike laughed incredulously. "Zelgius, I'm in the Hunger Games! With you! Of course I care!"

"What are you talking about?"

The beorc blinked. "...Huh?"

"I said, what are you talking about? I volunteered in place of you."

Ike realized immediately that Zelgius wasn't talking about him—realized that he was _hallucinating_. "Zelgius." he said firmly. "I am not a Branded. We are not in District Twelve. I'm Ike, and I'm from Eleven, and we're both in the Two-Twenty-Fourth Hunger Games. Do you remember that?"

The Branded paused for a long moment. "...I...I thought you were Soren...didn't I?" he said after a moment. "Damn...Sakira must've..."

Ike put a hand on the other boy's forehead. It was hot. "You have a fever, too," he said worriedly. "Oh, no..."

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

Several hours after that, just after sundown, Shinon was slumped over a table with a half-empty bottle in hand. He was a familiar sight to most of the other people around—they simply ignored him. Except for one.

Micaiah slid into the chair beside his and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," she murmured. "You alright?"

"'s fine 's I'll ever be," he mumbled. His voice was even thicker than usual with the effects of drink, and he slurred almost all his words. "Spen' too long talkin' ta th' stupid repo'ta's...all they 'ad on TV was th' stupid innerviews wi' th' tribu'es' fam'lies..."

"You should be happy. This is the second time your tributes have lasted into the second week!"

"Gah!" He snorted. "One's blatan'ly ignorin' meh advice, an' th' othe's 'alf ma' wi' fever. They won' las' long."

"Well, I have something that should cheer you up, then," she said, faintly smiling.

"Hrm?"

"I've spoken with Marth," she explained. "He went and talked with the Head Gamemaker, and they've agreed to briefly lower prices for the antidote for Sakira's poison, so long as I follow a certain condition. We'll have a two hour window to send it to them. Interested?"

He sighed. "No' like I 'ave much else ta do. An' be'er tha' watchin' th' boy's sista' cryin' 'er eyes ou' again..."

_**IKE**_

He was trying to sleep, but having a hard time of it.

The day had passed uneventfully, with no cannons or any signs of other tributes. Ike had spent the hours taking care of the two Branded; Kita had slept through almost the entire day, while Zelgius had fallen into a half-doze, muttering feverishly to himself. They had both dramatically worsened in just a few hours, and the beorc boy was afraid to take the bandages off Zelgius' legs(the only place he'd been wounded) and see how bad the damage was. They'd finished off the rabbit and a second one Ike had caught later; other than that, he'd stayed in the cave for the most part.

At one point, Zelgius had woken up fully and seemed to be himself. There was a little awkwardness between them, but they had a good conversation, avoiding the subject of the Hunger Games and instead talking about home. For the most part, it was Ike that did the talking. He told Zelgius about his sister, his mother, his father that had disappeared. He described District 11 and his life in detail, only leaving out the parts about the illegal hunting and the black market, and anything else that could get someone in trouble. Mostly he just tried to keep the other boy awake, but eventually Zelgius dozed off again, and returned to his incoherent mutterings.

Eventually Ike had to try and sleep as well, but now, he found that he couldn't. His mind was too distracted with worry about Kita and Zelgius, and how he was going to help them. He distantly recalled Shinon's advice, that he should leave them once the total tribute count was down to eight, but he ignored that thought. They were too important to him to abandon now.

He remembered his thoughts of the previous day—how he'd decided he wouldn't get attached again, so he wouldn't get hurt. _Well, technically, I haven't gotten attached 'again',_ he decided. _I already was...I mean, they're my friends, I couldn't leave them..._

Then he jumped as he heard the Capitol anthem begin outside. He knew he hadn't heard the cannon during the day, but he left the cave to check the sky anyway, just in case.

There was nothing in the sky but the Capitol seal; there had indeed been no deaths that day. He was just about to return inside when he heard a loud clunk that made him jump.

He remained quiet for a long moment, but heard nothing else. Then he carefully turned back around and walked into the woods, towards where the sound had come from.

He barely had to walk forty feet before he bumped into it; he recognized the silver parachute that the steel cylinder hung from, and his heart pounded as he realized that Shinon—or, more likely, Micaiah—had sent a gift.

Ike untied the parachute and carefully unscrewed the cylinder's lid, peering inside. There was a narrow syringe; he pulled it out and examined the contents. It was half-filled with a pale blue liquid; a small note was wrapped around it. He pulled off the thin paper and read quickly;

_ "This is the antidote. But there's only enough for one of them. -M.D."_

He stared at the note in disbelief, then back at the syringe.

_ Dammit, Micaiah,_ he thought angrily, _why do you have to make it so _hard!?

* * *

**_A/N_**

_And here's Chapter Ten!  
I feel so evil...Why must I beat up Zelgius so darn much...*facedesk*  
I cheated. Both the poison's symptoms and the description of the wound, I ripped off of a different book series. If you know which one, I'll give you a virtual cookie~ c:  
Reviews are always appreciated, hope you enjoy!  
_

_~DarkieDucessa_


	11. Chapter 11

_I live! Daaah...I'm soo sorry I kept forgetting to update ^^; so very lazy..._

* * *

_**CHAPTER ELEVEN**_

_**IKE**_

All things considered, he hadn't the faintest idea of what he should do.

Ike leaned against the entrance to the cave, looking thoughtfully at the two sleeping Branded inside. The syringe with the antidote that could save one of their lives was gripped tightly in his left hand.

He knew that Zelgius would insist that he give it to Kita—and since her legs weren't broken, she was definitely more likely to survive the following several days than her brother, if she were the one to recover.

But his heart said differently. His heart stubbornly insisted that he should walk over there and plunge the damn needle in Zelgius' arm, let the Branded boy be the one to recover. His mind said that Kita was the logical choice, yet his legs didn't move a step in her direction.

_Dammit...What do I do...?_

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

"You're a cruel woman, Micaiah Altina Deyan." Shinon said flatly.

The Branded woman rolled her eyes. "Really, my dear Shinon. I _told_ you that it was the Head Gamemaker's condition for the discount."

"Are you trying to drive my tribute insane? Or does it just happen naturally with you, 'Maddy'?"

"I'm not _mad!_ Just heightening the drama...!"

The beorc snorted. "We all know who he's going to pick, anyway. He's just going to torture himself over it for a few hours first, is all."

"We'll see."

_**IKE**_

A few hours later, and Ike had barely gotten a few minutes sleep before the dawn was upon him. The syringe was still tightly clenched in his hand, and he still hadn't made his decision; with a sigh, he slipped it into his pack and retrieved his sword, deciding that he would make his choice later.

A few more hours passed. Kita woke up briefly and managed to choke down a little food; Zelgius still refused to eat anything at all. Neither managed to remain coherent for longer than ten minutes; both were sinking deeper into their fevers, as the poison raced through their systems. At the rate it was going, and based on what his mother had taught him, Ike guessed they had maybe a day left before they wouldn't wake up at all.

He had to make his decision soon, but his heart and mind were locked in an argument and his choice would be based on the result of that argument, so for now he had to wait and sort it out. It wasn't easy. His heart was a stubborn thing, and his mind was no less.

On his second hunting trip of the day, though, he ran into something unexpected.

As Ike weaved carefully through the forest and boulders, his blade at the ready, he almost didn't notice the snare at his feet before he stepped in it. His foot froze in midair and he skipped backwards slightly in surprise, dodging around the simple rope trap.

He frowned. He only knew one person who made traps like that...

"Hey." He jumped at the voice and glanced up. Mia lay on top of one of the high boulders, looking down at him with a sad smile. "How's it going?"

"Fine," he replied, unsure of whether he should be wary or relieved. As far as he knew, the truce was still in effect...

"Did you abandon the Branded?"

"...No."

"Huh. Figured as much." She swung her legs over the edge and dropped lightly down.

Ike noticed a bandage covering her upper left arm. "Injured?"

"Uh-huh."

"Sakira's claws were poisoned..."

"I know." She bent down to check that the trap was still good. "Shinon sent me the antidote."

"Didn't think he cared."

"Same here." She stood up again.

For some reason, Ike felt a sense of District 11. Being alone, in the woods, with Mia—it was as if they were back home. That hurt—but it also made him happy. He'd forgotten how it was when they talked...

"I'm sorry," Mia suddenly said.

Ike blinked. "For what?"

"No...about the heron. Leanne."

For a brief moment, his heart ached at the memory of her—but he stubbornly pushed that aside. "It's alright," he said, more harshly than he'd intended. "I don't... I don't care."

"I always...envied her, you know." Mia continued quietly. "She...she was so lighthearted, so cheerful...never afraid to speak her mind. I was never able to do that."

"That's not true."

"So you say."

"So I _know._"

"Mhm..." She rolled her eyes. "Berries?" She reached in her pocket and tossed him a small bag.

He opened it and poured a few out—then frowned as he recognized them and looked back up at her. "Nightlock? Seriously?"

She laughed slightly. "Figured you wouldn't fall for that. Oh well."

He put the berries back in and tossed the bag back to her. "Why do you carry those around, anyway?"

She caught it and put it in her pocket. "I figured maybe Sakira likes berries. You never know. Poison can be extremely useful, as said lion managed to prove. I was barely conscious long enough last night to even get the antidote."

That made him remember the decision he had to make, and he winced. She noticed the motion. "...Did Shinon send you an antidote for the Branded?" she asked. "I remember at least one of them was wounded."

"Both of them are..." he mumbled. "And Micaiah—their mentor—she only sent enough for one. I don't know who to give it to..."

She patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Ike." she said. "You...you'll pick the one you can't live without, and that's good enough."

Ike paused for a long moment. "...Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Did any tributes die the night before last?"

"Didn't you see it in the sky? Or hear the cannons?"

"No, I fell asleep before I could look...and I wasn't paying attention enough to hear any cannons."

Mia thought briefly. "...District 1 boy." she finally recited. "He and the District 6 boy... killed each other after you left yesterday. Then there's the District 2 boy; _you_ killed him. And the District 5 girl. That's all."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." She turned and began to walk off, but then paused and glanced back. "...Ike?"

"Yes?"

"I...well..." She sighed deeply. "Look, after today, the truce is off, alright? It...it's too late in the game for allies anymore."

He blinked, then sighed sadly. He didn't agree, but he certainly couldn't argue the point with her now. "...I...suppose. Yes."

She turned again and disappeared behind a boulder. Her breaking the truce hurt him, but he had known it was inevitable.

As he left to return to the vicinity of the cave, he thought on what she'd told him. _Kurth, Skrimir, Volug, and the other girl are dead. That leaves...Me, Zelgius, Kita, Sakira, and Mia. Only five of us...and three of them are my friends. Damn._

_And...what was that she said?_ he wondered. _I'll...pick the one I can't live without? That sounds awfully...callous._

_Maybe she didn't mean it that way, but...is that all she really thinks?_

_…__...But...she's probably right. With a choice like this...which one of them could I not live without...?_

_But that's a moot question anyway. Only one of us will survive the Games. Maybe I should just leave them both to die...spare myself the pain of having to fight them._

_...No...then I'll live with the guilt of abandoning them, and even if I die soon after and don't have to live with it long, I just can't do that. But even if I save one of them, I'll have to live with the guilt of condemning the other._

_What can I do...?_

Zelgius was awake when Ike returned to the cave. "Ike," he said softly as the beorc boy entered.

"Zelgius," Ike said with slight relief. "Are you—"

"I'm fine," the Branded boy interceded. "Aware, coherent, whatever you want to call it. For now."

Ike dropped his pack against the wall and sat down next to Zelgius. The antidote weighed heavily on his mind. "Um...I...I ran into Mia." He stumbled over the words, unintentional, not meaning to even bring her up but somehow managing to anyway.

"What did she do?"

"Eh, nothing. She told me who died yesterday, though."

"...Who?"

"...Skrimir, Kurth, Volug. And the Red Dragon girl."

"...that means the only ones left now are us three, Sakira, and Mia."

"I suppose so."

There was a lengthy, awkward silence. Ike felt he should say something, get Zelgius talking so he wouldn't drift off again, but words wouldn't come.

"I guess this means we're the only boys left," Zelgius suddenly said, with a small laugh. "That's got to be unusual."

"Right!" Ike spoke without thinking. "I guess this also means that, unless your secret crush really was a girl, he must be dead by now."

Zelgius fell into a stunned silence, and Ike instantly felt ashamed of himself. "Wait, I didn't—that's not what I—" _So stupid,_ he scolded himself. _Are you _trying_ to be a jerk? Are you _trying_ to hurt him?_

"...I...suppose...so." the Branded boy said slowly. "I...well..."

"...Who...who was it?" Ike asked, stumbling over his words again. _What are you saying, you idiot!?_

"...I'm surprised you haven't guessed already."

"...Well...was...was it..." He paused, but only one name came to mind that he wasn't afraid to say; "Was it Leanne?"

Zelgius laughed again. "That's hardly a guess, Ike. We...well, we all loved Leanne, did we not?"

Ike sighed deeply, after a pause. "...Yes...I suppose we did. In a way." he murmured. "I might've loved her...You did...and I'm fairly sure Kita did as well. And there were so many others..."

"...Yes...we...all loved Leanne, indeed..." the Branded boy said quietly.

Ike only had to take one glance at Zelgius' eyes to see that he had guessed wrong. "She wasn't the one." he said softly.

"Hmm?"

"You loved her, but...as a friend, a sister, you know. Like the rest of us did...probably did. Not...She wasn't the one you _really _love, was she?"

The other boy paused for a long, long moment. "...No." he finally said, looking down at the floor. "No, she was not."

"Who was it?" Ike asked without a thought. "I mean, it can't hurt now, since he or she's probably dead already."

Zelgius blinked. Then he looked up and met Ike's eyes; and then he laughed. "Good goddess," he said softly. "No, that's not right at all. It hurts more than anything..."

"Eh...What? I don't understand."

The other boy sniffled slightly. "Exactly," he said weakly. "Goddess, Ike, but you're so _dense."_

Then he suddenly seemed to be right in front of Ike, and an arm came around the younger boy's shoulders to drag him closer, and Ike felt a warm sensation on his lips and realized that Zelgius was kissing him. And he realized what that meant.

He couldn't believe it. But it felt too wonderful to stop and ask why.

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

"Son of a..."

"Hah! I told you so!"

"Dammit, Micaiah!"

"Hahhaha!"

_**IKE**_

A few hours had passed. The two Branded were sleeping again, and Ike was sitting next to Zelgius, staring at the opposite wall, the taste of the older boy's lips still lingering on his as he tried to sort out exactly what had happened earlier.

_I...I couldn't be the one he had a crush on,_ he thought flatly. _We hardly know each other...do we? He...he must've been hallucinating._

_But then, he wasn't hallucinating right before that. He was coherent, he was _awake _then. He called me by my _name.

_He loves me, then...? But...he was...always so concerned about the Games. He wouldn't _really_fall in love with his own ally, one of the people most likely to survive with him to the end, would he...? But then again, I don't think he would really love his enemy like that, so maybe loving me was actually the only reason he accepted the alliance..._

_How do _I_ feel about this?_

_That's the problem. How _do _I feel about this?_

His mind became a jumble of words and thoughts as he tried to recall his own feelings about the Branded boy;

_Well I did like him, do still like him, he said we were drawn together, no I said that, I liked him enough to give him my pin, does he still have that? Wait am I sure he even meant it, did he even know what he was doing, he's been protecting me, how could he love me and then abandon me, maybe he didn't, I don't—_

_Wait._ He latched on to that last thought; _'Maybe he didn't'? How is that even an option? He abandoned me, he said it himself! But he might've been lying to try and push me away, so killing me wouldn't hurt as much later..._

_…__..Wait a minute. Didn't they say something about a dragon?_

He focused on that and quickly brought his thoughts around, contemplating. He remembered hearing both Branded mumbling about her in their fevered sleep; he suddenly recalled Kita, in one of her coherent moments, talking about a dragon...

_Medha must've been hunting,_ he said to himself, sorting out his thoughts into a coherent sentence; _Medha was hunting and drew close to the cave; Zelgius was awake and saw her, and perhaps she was even coming towards me; he woke up Kita but didn't have time to warn me before she found them; he and Kita ran to draw her away from me and Leanne, then went to fight her; Leanne woke up and followed them, saw the battle, but then got separated; she must've been searching for me when she got attacked by Vika; Zelgius and Kita must've wounded Medha, but they couldn't get back to me—_

_Whoa. Somehow, that actually makes sense._ He chuckled quietly.

_…__.But that doesn't change the fact of..._

_How can he love me, when he knows we'll have to kill each other?_

It didn't take him long to figure that one out;

_Well...I know that, but...I love him too. I do.I _do _love him..._

_Enough to save his life, and kill him later? Or not enough to let him die peacefully in his sleep, and go on without me?_

"...Ike?"

He started, turning at the sound of a girl's weak voice. "Kita!"  
"...I know what you're thinking." she said softly. She was sitting up, and stared straight into his eyes; it felt as if she were looking into his heart. "I know that...he would try to stop you...but you..."

"Kita, you shouldn't...you should rest..."

"...Heal...him." she said firmly. "I was dead...from the beginning. I don't...need life anymore. Give him...another chance at it. It's the least he deserves..."

Her voice trailed off, and Ike realized she'd fallen back asleep.

It was much later. Neither of the Branded had woken; both were close to death already. Ike held the syringe with the antidote in his hands and worried over his dilemma.

Should he save Zelgius' life, the life of the boy who lay broken before him, the boy he loved, as Kita had told him to, just to have to take it later to survive the Games? Or should he save Kita's life, the life of the girl willing to give her own life for her brother, the girl who... he could kill later with ease, if necessary?

From a tactical viewpoint, the answer was obvious. From an emotional one, it wasn't. Right now, Ike was ruling from his heart, and his heart was too confused to make any kind of decision.

_Zelgius...? Kita...? Zelgius...? Kita...?_

That was about the extent of his thoughts on the matter at this point. Everything else had been mentally debated; everything had been sorted out, more or less, in his head; it was down to names and he couldn't decide on either.

_Zelgius...the boy I love...?_

_Kita...the girl I can...?_

He studied Zelgius' face and felt his heart skip a beat when the boy whimpered in pain.

Pain? It was supposed to be...painless. He'd thought he could give the boy he loved that, at the least—a painless death.

But if Zelgius was hurting, there only seemed to be one option.

And yet...

_I can't debate this forever,_ Ike decided. _I will decide now! I will...I..._

_…__..Oh. I see it now,_ he finally realized. _It's exactly like Mia said. I'll choose the one I can't live without, and that one is..._

With a small gasp, he fell to his knees beside the other tribute. _Forgive me, Kita,_ he thought. Then, he amended; _Forgive me, Zelgius,_ and plunged the syringe in the older boy's arm. He pressed slowly down on the plunger until he was sure that all of it was in Zelgius' system, and then pulled the syringe out again and dropped it.

The clang it made on the stone floor seemed to echo forever in his ears, and Ike prayed he'd made the right choice.

_**GAMES HEADQUARTERS**_

Shinon frowned. "That stuff does work, right?"

"Of course it does, silly." Micaiah replied. "You saw it work on Mia."

"Yeah, but she's...smaller. Had smaller wounds."

"Don't worry, my dear Shinon. Zelgius will be cured..."

The beorc paused for a long moment. "...But Kita will die."

Micaiah sighed. "Well...yes."

"...Bitch."

"I didn't have a choice!" she protested.

"Hah!" Shinon laughed darkly. "I'll bet your Gamemaker buddies are probably having a laugh about this turn of events right now."

She sniffled, wiping a tear out of her eyes. "Oh, s-shut up..."

"...Now you're crying," he sighed. "You cry every time your tributes die...Geez, you're soft."

Micaiah sniffled again, burying her face in her hands.

"...Oh, come on now." Shinon said. "Stop crying. I didn't mean it."

"I-it wasn't my fault!" she whimpered. "I didn't w-want to let her d-die like that...I...I d-didn't...!"

Shinon hugged her. "I know, I know..." he said comfortingly.

"I-I just c-couldn't d-do anything e-else! I-I'm s-supposed to _help_ them! B-but I...I f-failed her, I failed him...!"

"Nobody's perfect," he said quietly. "You did everything you could, and it wasn't enough. …It's not your fault, Micaiah."

She burst into tears, clinging to him, sobbing into his chest.

_**IKE**_

He sat next to Kita as the poison took her life away. She never woke, she hardly breathed...and the only sign of her passing was the cannon that sounded outside when her heart finally stopped.

Ike didn't cry. He felt such a sadness that he thought his heart might snap, for abandoning her life for her brother's, but he still found no tears to shed in her name.

So when the cannon came, he carried her outside, far away from the cave, into the woods. He knew he was supposed to just leave her there, untouched, so the Gamemakers' hovercraft could come and retrieve her body. But then, Zelgius' words from the rooftop echoed in his ears;

_"__I wish I could think of a way to show the Capitol that they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games."_

And he decided to have a little rebellion of his own.

There were wildflowers in the forest around. White, violet, dark blue and red—perhaps weeds of some sort, but they would serve his purpose. He picked as many as he could, then returned to Kita's still body.

Slowly, one stem at a time, he decorated her in the flowers. Covered the ugly wounds, wreathing her face, weaving bright colors into her hair. When he stepped away, it looked almost as though she could simply be asleep.

He whistled a few notes, the notes of the galdrar Leanne had taught him, what seemed like a lifetime ago. A few moments later, the unseen _Irotonimagem_ around him took up the melody, and the forest and mountains echoed with a song of farewell.

"Goodbye, Kita." he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Then he returned to the cave, to let the Capitol hovercraft come and collect her body.

And only when he was back inside, with Zelgius sleeping peacefully and the poison already gone, did Ike finally snap. A few tears trickled from his eyes, tears he did his best to stop, but he could not—and after a few minutes, he didn't even bother trying, and let himself cry over the loss of the selfless girl that he'd condemned to death when he saved her brother's life.

Just as she'd wanted it.

* * *

_And there it is, the pairing you've all been waiting for! XD  
Heh, not really...Apologies to those of you who weren't expecting the yaoi (Cormag Ravenstaff called me, I spaced on putting the warning in the description), but well, this is meh favorite pairing (as those of you who looked at my profile probably know already) so anyone who knew me probably saw this coming a mile away...  
(Don't kill me, yaoi haters ^^;)  
Hope you enjoyed, reviews are always appreciated, and peace out~  
_

_~DarkieDucessa_


	12. Chapter 12

_**CHAPTER TWELVE**_

_**ZELGIUS**_

_When I wake, Kita is gone. I can tell immediately that she's nowhere in the cave._

_The second thing I notice is...everything feels..._different._Ike...he must've gotten the antidote, or something, because...I'm not..._dying_anymore._

_The third thing..._

_What was I _thinking_?_

_I just went out and admitted it to the world? To _him_? That I..._loved_ him? I suppose I thought I was going to die, but..._

_By the goddess, he must think me a fool. And now he is more dangerous than ever, for since I've told him, he may try to use my feelings for his advantage..._

_No...he wouldn't do that, would he...?_

_…__.He sleeps right beside me now, leaning against my left shoulder. So he hasn't abandoned me, I see._

_Where could Kita have gone? Perhaps she went out, or..._

_…__...perhaps he killed her..._

_Ike awakens a few minutes after me. "...Zelgius?" he asks softly. "...How are you feeling..?"_

_"__Where's Kita?" I demand._

_His silence is enough of an answer. "...Did you...?"_

_"__No!" he says quickly. "I...I, well..." He looks away, ashamed. "...Micaiah...sent only enough of an antidote for one of you. I...chose you. Kita...she died. Last night. I...I'm so sorry."_

_My feelings are a mix of rage and happiness. Happiness that I am alive, and he is alive...but rage, that my sister...my dear little sister, my only family left, the girl I've sworn my life to protect..._

_…__...is dead. Because of him._

_"__...How could you?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper. "How could you let her die...!"_

_"__It was you or her..." he says. "Your life, or hers..."_

_I unconsciously clench my fists, and for a brief moment, I wish that he were dead. No...no, it would be better if I was..._

_"__I'm so sorry," he says again. "I know I can't...I can't ever make it up to you...but...I..." He sighs and looks down at the ground. "...Forgive me..."_

_I want to answer him. I want to say _something._ But there isn't anything. How could there be, when none of it is right anymore..._

_Time seems to pass so slowly today. Ike gets some breakfast; I eat it mechanically, barely even registering what goes into my mouth. I do notice that Ike seems relieved now._

_Just...It feels like a dream. A bad dream. One where those you love are gone and you are lost and confused without them._

_I swore to protect her. I swore it to Sydelle, even as she lay dying, that I would protect Kita to my last breath._

_And now I have nothing left...nothing but my own pathetic life, and this boy, this beorc boy who refuses to give in to sense, or logic, refuses to worry about himself. If he had any sense, he would've abandoned me and Kita a long time ago, taken care of himself..._

_How does he expect to win if he protects me, so late in the game?_

_Or...does he even expect that...?_

_Then, finally, around midday, Ike finally asks the question I've been dreading all morning. "Did you mean it?"_

_I feign confusion, though I'm not sure why. "Mean what?"_

_"__Well...do you really...love...me?" he asks slowly._

_…__How do I respond to a question like that? At a time like this, when everything else seems so wrong?_

_Will he use me if I say yes? Possibly. Saying no would be the best solution, but..._

_Goddess. Kita always says...said...I am too honest for my own good._

_"__Yes."_

_There is a long silence between us, and for the first time in my life, I cannot read someone. I cannot read him; either he has no emotion, or he is blocking me from it...but I feel nothing from him, nothing at all._

_And suddenly, I have no need to read him, as he leans in and kisses me on the mouth, as I give in and pull him closer, kiss him again, and he kisses me back, and it feels so _good.

_And yet...it's...frightening. What have I gotten myself into now...?_

_**IKE**_

The day seemed to flash by in his eyes. Zelgius was still weakened by the poison, but he was fast recovering; in maybe a day or two, if his legs weren't broken, he would probably be able to walk and fight.

Ike did some scouting around on his own, but he never went far from the cave. He saw no signs of Sakira or Mia anywhere; and when he went to where he'd left Kita's body, there was no sign of flowers or anything. He didn't care much; his mind was on other matters.

_I know I love him,_ he thought, leaning against a boulder for a brief rest. It was raining, and his hair was plastered over his face, even despite the headband. He'd probably return soon, but he wanted some time to himself first. _I _know _that. But...does he really love me?_

It hurt to think about it, but he knew he had to consider all the possibilities. _Maybe he never had any definite person he loved, but lied about it...so he could call it whoever he was left with? I mean, if I had died and Leanne survived...would he have confessed to loving her? Would he have said he loved Volug, or Kurth, or even Sakira, if it had come down to just the two of them? Sponsors do seem to like the tragic love thing...I remember something like this happening before; a pair from the same district said they loved each other, and they got a lot of sponsors. That was a long time ago...Did they both survive? But that's irrelevant..._

He decided to just pose himself questions and answer them yes or no...just to sort a few things out in his mind.

_Do I love him? Yes._

_Is it possible that he loves me? Yes._

_Is it possible that he is just faking it, for the sponsors? Yes._

_Am I faking it, for the sponsors?_

_…__...No. No, I'm not._

_Will he kill me, if it comes down to just the two of us?_

Ike wasn't sure about that one. On one hand, Zelgius had proved himself resilient in protecting his friends and family over himself; on the other hand, though, it was possible that he'd been doing it all as part of his 'grand plan for victory'—or at least, Ike assumed that's what it really was.

He decided to play it safe. He answered himself; _Yes._

_Will I kill _him,_ if it comes down to just the two of us?_

That one was even harder. Would he? Would he really kill this boy that he'd come to love, to save his own life?

_…__.On second thought, that's not so hard at all. No. Never._

Though with answers like those, it seemed impossible for him to ever win.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_Ike goes out to hunt, scout around for the other two. I wait, for one hour, then two, in the cave. My legs refuse to move in the slightest without hurting, so I sit very still and contemplate things._

_I know that I love him. I love him more than anything, but I don't know if he truly loves me back. He...never seemed the kind to love someone like _me._Leanne, or Mia, or even my dear little sister, Kita, yes...yes, he could love them._

_Me? I'm nothing. Why would anyone love a nothing? Especially a boy like him...?_

_The boy of blue flames could have so much more; I refuse to believe he'd actually settle for me._

_But, well...I would like to believe that I've gotten to know him over the past week or two. I'd like to think that I know he would, that he would love me, but how do I know that he hasn't been faking this from the beginning?_

_Well...I suppose, if he really was just playing it for the game, he probably would've saved Kita, not me. She would've been less of a liability._

_But perhaps he thought that, if he kept me—me, one of only three tributes to get a score of eleven, and probably one of the favorites—he would be more likely to get sponsors. But this late in the game, do they really matter?_

_…__..I...I guess I can't say they don't. You never know when an aptly-timed gift might save your life. Though, in my case, I'm likely as good as dead anyway. After all, what sponsor in their right mind would give money to help a tribute who can't even stand?_

_**CAREERS**_

Sakira crouched down beside the footprint in the riverbank mud. It had rained earlier that day, and the print was especially clear, though the scent had been mostly washed away—there was too little of it left for her to pick up with her weakened senses, but she knew whose print this was. She ran one finger along the edge, tracing out the shape, then stood up again with a small smile.

"You're close, little girl," she purred to herself. "Soon, you'll be mine for the killing...and then, on to the boys."

Though, after a pause, she reconsidered; "Unless it would be better to go for them first...?"

The more she thought about it, the more the sadistic lion was attracted to the idea. "Yes...I will find them, and kill the half-breed. And then the beorc's screams will draw you to me. Perfect!"

She took a step and stumbled, crying out slightly as her injured and nearly dislocated right arm banged into a rock. She swore under her breath. _Damn...if only this stupid arm wasn't so useless..._

_At least, the beorc girl won't be much better. And I still have ten hours left._

_**IKE**_

He returned to the cave later that day. The sun was already dipping low in the sky, but no colors washed it; the world around him seemed to gray out by the day, to the point where he and the other tributes seemed the only spot of color on this dull landscape.

Zelgius glanced up slightly as the younger boy entered. "Any sign of the other two?"

"No," Ike replied, "nothing." He knelt down next to Zelgius. "Feeling any better?"

"Unfortunately, it is impossible for broken legs to heal overnight without some kind of magical assistance." the other boy replied dryly.

"Yeah..." Ike sighed and leaned back against the wall. "At least you're safe, I suppose."

"...In the Hunger Games...no one is safe." the Branded boy said softly.

"Well, relatively safe."

"Both my legs broken, stuck in a cave, relying on another tribute for my life?"

"You know I would never let anything hurt you."

"I suppose, but...it's hard to find anyone to trust."

Ike turned to face him. "You can trust me," he assured the other boy. "I promise."

"So always says the traitor, before he betrays said trust."

"Zelgius..." The blue-eyed boy subconsciously slid his hand into Zelgius'. "I would never betray you. I...know how you feel, but...I wouldn't."

The Branded boy sighed slightly. "And how are you to know that...that _I_ am not the traitor I speak of?"

The question hurt—or, more than the question, the idea that Zelgius would try to hurt him. Ike wondered if the other boy really meant it. "...Well..." he said thoughtfully, having an idea of a response but not one he liked. "I suppose if you were like that, you could kill me while I was sleeping. I wouldn't suspect a thing. I'd probably never know you did it. I somehow doubt you would do that, though."

Zelgius nodded, ever so slightly, and Ike took comfort in the fact that he'd been right in guessing _that_ bluff, at least. Though whether he would ever guess the important one—that Zelgius loved him, if it was a bluff—he didn't know. "...I still trust you." the beorc said firmly. "No matter what you say."

"Really?" the Branded queried. "So, if I told you that I was planning to kill you when I allied with you, you would still trust me?"

Ike nodded without a thought. That put Zelgius slightly off-balance.

"...And if I told you that I really did abandon you to save my own life...?"

Again, Ike nodded. "I don't care what you say. I still trust you. And besides..." He quickly explained his earlier theory about how he'd gotten left behind.

Zelgius paused for a long moment when the other boy was done. And suddenly laughed. "What?" Ike asked, slightly annoyed, thinking that the Branded was laughing at him.

"How do you do it?" Zelgius asked wonderingly. "How can you manage to know almost _everything,_ just from a single thought...?"

Ike shrugged nonchalantly, but inside he was bursting with happiness that he'd gotten it somehow right. "Intuition?"

"Well, you're mostly right." the green-eyed boy said. "But I did get Leanne along with Kita. After we fought Medha, she wanted to go back and get you; I said you were probably gone. She left to look for you, and Kita and I went on by ourselves."

"So I was right!" Ike said triumphantly. "You didn't abandon me!"

"...I didn't say that."

That gave the beorc a pause. "...What?"

"I did abandon you." Zelgius said softly. "I didn't wake you on purpose because I didn't want to stay near you. I intentionally tried to get Leanne not to go back for you..."

Ike fell silent for a long moment, confused. "But...why?"

Zelgius looked into his eyes sadly, then down at their clasped hands on the floor. "You know as well as I do." he murmured.

The beorc blinked. "You...didn't want to fall in love with me?" he guessed.

The Branded laughed. "No; I was already in love before that. I didn't want you to know."

"But Zelgius!" Ike rolled over slightly so he was on his knees, facing the other boy, still holding his hand. "I loved you before then too, I just—didn't realize it!"

"Exactly." the Branded said firmly. "I didn't _want _you to realize it, because...well..."

"...We're from different districts." the beorc said slowly. "We're both boys. There's no way both of us could survive the Games together."

"...Yes. Which is why...I can't...let you trust me."

"Hmm?"

Zelgius looked up to meet Ike's eyes again. "If you trust me...stay with me..._love_ me...then one of us will likely have to die at the other's hand. I don't want that to happen."

"I'm not going to leave you."

"You may not have a choice."

"Yes, I do!" Ike declared. "There's a choice for _everything,_ Zelgius—and I've chosen to stay with you. Love you. Trust you. Even when you think that trust is undeserved, Zelgius—_I trust you."_ The Branded boy coughed slightly, looking back at the ground, and Ike realized he was covering up a sniffle. "I...don't deserve your trust." he said weakly. "I don't deserve anything. I don't even deserve _life_."

"That's a lie!" Ike reached over and turned Zelgius' face back up to look him in the eyes. "If anyone deserves to survive the Hunger Games, it's you! You've done so much for your sister, for me—you're a _good person,_ Zelgius, and you deserve more than I or anyone could ever give you!"

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. Because—" Ike paused for just a moment, as he suddenly realized something he should've seen before. "Sydelle didn't sell you out, did she?"

The Branded boy blinked. "W-what?"

"She didn't. You did." Ike said, his voice getting stronger as the realization crept into it. "You did something wrong on purpose, or faked it, and told her to turn you in, so that your family could survive. You did it for _them._"

"...I..." Zelgius lowered his eyes. "How...would you know...?"

"You're the kind of person who would do that." Ike gently ran a finger down Zelgius' face, down the scar, sending a nervous shiver down the Branded's spine. "I know you are. You let yourself be beaten so that others wouldn't be. You let them turn you in so they could survive another winter. You...you gave that last bit of yourself away, for others."

"For Kita." he murmured. "Always, for Kita. And now she's...gone."

"...no." Ike said quietly. "There were others, weren't there? Other times, other places, other people you gave yourself up to protect. Others that survived because of your sacrifice. Always, for _them."_

A single tear trickled down Zelgius' cheek. "I...didn't..."

"Ssh." Ike wrapped his arms around the Branded boy and pulled him close, careful not to bump his legs. "Don't cry. Goddess, I don't want to make you cry. I don't want you to be sad anymore! Please, Zelgius...don't be sad. I love you. I trust you. And I want to keep you with me as long as I can."

And suddenly, Zelgius was crying.

It was the first time he'd really cried in over ten years. For so long, he'd kept himself from it; kept his sorrow and pain in; and not a tear had he shed. But now they just wouldn't stop.

He was glad to have Ike there for him. To have a shoulder to cry on. To be with someone he loved.

They held each other for what seemed like an eternity, and both of them would've been happy if that moment had indeed lasted forever. But eventually, the tears subsided, and Zelgius looked up to meet Ike's eyes.

"I...I trust you, too," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

"Thank you," Ike replied, a brighter smile on his face than he thought he'd ever had.

And that time, it was he that leaned in. And for a brief moment, as their lips touched, as the cave seemed to fade around them and in the Hunger Games nothing would ever be so...

For a moment, the world just seemed _right._

And then the moment passed, and as they came apart, they both knew that every eye in Tellius was on them now.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_I do trust him._

_I am a fool. I know I shouldn't._

_But—how can I not? How can I fear him, after...after..._

_…__..He seems able to guess everything about me. Everything about my past. Could someone untrustworthy do that so easily...?_

_Well...probably. But...I..._

_I just love him. That's all I can say about it. I love him, and I trust him._

_My life is in his hands._

_And my plan is for him._

_Some time passes. A day, maybe two, or three. We talk, mostly about inane or pointless things. Wonder about the other two tributes, and where they are. We hear no cannons, so they must still be alive._

_It begins to rain about an hour before sundown on the third day. We cuddle up together under the one sleeping bag, and eventually Ike dozes off on my shoulder. He's so warm...Kita always seemed to be cold, almost lifeless; Ike seems to be her opposite in almost every way._

_We've kissed a total of nine times in all. I feel better every time we do; each time his lips touch mine, I feel the warmth of a thousand fires, and a little bit of color seems to return to my world. What I once saw as dull and lifeless suddenly seems brilliant and vibrant; things I ignored as simply a useless part of my surroundings are now fascinating and wonderful. The birds that Leanne spoke of never seemed to sing before; but now I hear their melody ringing throughout the trees outside._

_And with Ike sleeping on my shoulder, his gentle breathing echoing mine, I find that the nightmares that have haunted me for so many long years do not plague my sleep._

_Is this how it feels to be in love?_

_We are both startled out of our sleep by the sound of the Capitol anthem, followed shortly by a booming voice—a voice that I quickly recognize as Kieran Fergus, and realize that it must be playing throughout the entire Arena. We both listen intently, not wanting to miss a word._

_"__Attention, tributes!" he says. "There will be a feast today. However, this is no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately. You will find that something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at sundown. This will be the only announcement."_

_Then the voice falls silent. I turn to Ike and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head._

_"__No." I say, just as he begins to open his mouth._

_"__Why not?" he asks._

_"__I won't let you risk your life for me," I say firmly._

_"__Zelgius, they might have something for your legs! This could be our only chance!"_

_"__I don't care. I don't want to see you killed._

_His eyes narrow and he stands up. "Well, I am going. And you can't stop me!"_

_I can't. Not really. But I can go after him... "I'll follow you, then. At least partway." I reply, my voice devoid of emotion. "I may not make it there, but if I'm yelling your name, someone will probably find me. And then I'll be dead for sure."_

_He blinks, and his expression changes to one of surprise. "...You...You wouldn't get anywhere. Not on those legs."_

_"__Then I'll drag myself." I say firmly._

_I study his face to see his reaction. He knows that I'm maybe just strong enough to do what I threaten, that I can't defend myself, and that the exertion could kill me in itself, let alone whether Sakira or Mia finds me. I see his resolve weaken._

_"__What...what am I supposed to do?" he finally asks. "Sit here, protect you until the other two come along and kill us both?"_

_"__That won't happen," I say. "But if you go to the Cornucopia tonight—or what's left of it—one of the other two will probably kill you. You know it."_

_"__I won't die," he says._

_"__You can't face a fully Transformed Lion, Ike!" I snap. "And if you fight Mia, you won't be able to kill her. I know that."_

_"__If I don't go, we'll probably _both _die!" he insists. "I'd rather take the chance that only I do!"_

_"__If you die, then I'll be good as dead anyway! How am I supposed to defend myself?"_

_"__Which is why I need to go, so that I can heal you so you _can _defend yourself!"_

_"__And if you die, neither of us will go home!"_

_"__That's not true!"_

_"__You know it is!"_

_"__Dammit, Zelgius!" His voice raises to a shout. "I know you're worried about me, but I'm _not _going to sit here and watch you waste away! The Gamemakers will kill us both before any other tribute does, at that rate! I'm going, and you—you _won't_ stop me!"_

_"__Yes, I will." I say, my voice flat. "I already said I would follow you."_

_"__I don't believe you."_

_"__Do you want to test me?"_

_"__No! But..." He sighs. "Zelgius, _please _promise you won't do anything stupid."_

_"__I will, if you promise you won't go."_

_"__...You know I can't do that."_

_"__Then I won't promise anything either."_

_We stare each other down for a long, tense moment. Then he falls to his knees beside me and kisses me lightly on the lips. "Alright," he says, defeat in his voice. "I won't go. I promise..."_

_He's lying, but I know he won't admit it if I ask. So I simply reply "Thank you."_

_I make no promises of my own. I know that he notices, but I don't care. We both know that his promise was false._

_He stays with me for several hours. I'm faintly aware of the sun rising and starting to go down outside, but the cave is at such an angle from the sun that it's always hard to tell. I expect for him to make a move, to try and slip out to go to the feast, but he never even leaves the cave._

_Then, a few hours before sundown, he goes out to get some water. I feel tired from having not slept all day, to make sure he didn't run off..._

_I feel a heavy weariness creeping over me, all of a sudden. My eyes...hard to...keep them open..._

_...No...I can't fall asleep yet...he'll...hurt himself..._

_The last thing I see before I sleep is his face as he enters the cave again...and then...I...can't..._

_**IKE**_

He'd barely paused to check that Zelgius was actually asleep before he grabbed his sword and set off for the Cornucopia canyon. He knew that he was probably making a mistake; that Zelgius would never forgive him now, would never trust him again...

But it was the only choice he had.

Now...to get to the feast, and save his love's life.

The climb down went much faster than before. Despite the fact that it was still raining, he was alone now, he had to carry a sword with him, and he had no Leanne to help him if he fell, he felt as if he were invincible—as if since he couldn't afford to fall and hurt himself before even reaching the feast, he just wouldn't ever fall or slip.

He finally reached the canyon as the sun was halfway below the horizon. He saw no sign of Mia or Sakira—just a flat, large black square where the Cornucopia had once been.

Wait. What? Where'd that come from?

He decided the Gamemakers must've put it there over the former standing point in preparation for the feast, or something. Indeed, all the ash and rubble seemed to have been cleared from the canyon, leaving a flat dirt field, fast turning to mud—a perfect battleground, in Games terms, for the three standing tributes.

Ike crouched behind a boulder near the river. The rain showed no sign of letting up; he ignored it, considering as he was drenched already. The other two tributes remained nowhere to be seen.

He didn't have long to wait, however; just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, there was a great screeching noise, and then the black box slid aside and a metal table slid up out of the ground, with three packs on it. One seemed large, red, and he could see a '2' right on the front. The next was smaller, dark green, marked with '11'. The third was tiny, small enough to hold in one hand; black, marked with a '12'. That one was the one he needed, he was sure of it.

And, seeing how small it was, he knew he had to go now. If one of the others went first, they could easily grab his pack and make off with it, and then Zelgius would be sure as dead if anything happened to Ike.

So, readjusting his sword grip, he dashed out from behind the rocks towards the table.

His feet seemed to fly over the ground, but just as he reached the table, he slipped on the mud. It saved his life; he heard a dagger whiz over his head, and it would've hit him in the head if he'd still been standing.

Quickly getting to his feet, he turned just as Mia threw her second dagger. He slapped it aside with the flat of his blade, then brought it around to block again as she drew her sword and leapt down at him. She balanced off of his sword for a brief moment before leaping off, landing in a crouch.

"Get out of my way," Ike snapped. She'd broken the truce already; he didn't want to kill her, but he would not let her keep him from his goal.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," she replied bitterly, then darted forward again. Ike parried her quickly; he was fast, but she was even faster. Their blades rang together for several moments, before Ike kicked her and threw her aside. He started for the table again, then spun around just as a third dagger came whizzing in. He wasn't quite fast enough that time, and it slashed his cheek; ignoring the pain, he tried to run past Mia, so he could circle around after she'd grabbed her pack.

But then a huge roar stopped both of them in their tracks, and suddenly Ike found himself faced with four hundred pounds of angry lion. His eyes widened and he barely managed to dodge aside in time; Sakira landed where he'd been a split second ago with a loud thump and splash, as she kicked up the mud, then turned, roaring again.

Mia shouted and dashed forward, slashing at the lion's legs. Sakira swatted her with one paw, sending her flying back, and stalked towards Ike, favoring her right foreleg but otherwise uninjured.

"You killed Skrimir," she said, her voice rippling weirdly from her feline jaws. "I'll make your death very slow for that."

Ike slowly backed away from her, sword held at the ready. "I'll kill you too if you get in my way," he growled.

"You can try!" She snarled and ran towards him, her huge paws kicking up a spray of mud as she ran. Her fangs bared wickedly.

Ike did the only thing he really could do; he leapt to the side. She swerved and managed to slam into him all the same, but he got a return slice that gashed her injured leg before she did so. He went flying about thirty feet, slamming into the ground, and heard an audible _crunch;_ he figured his ribs were broken, judging by the pain, but still he struggled to his feet.

Sakira roared again, running toward him, ignoring her wound. He got his sword up and slashed at her; she leapt back, not quite reaching him, and growled just beyond his reach.

Walking carefully, his eyes locked on hers, they began to circle. Every time she made a lunge, he returned it with his blade, which made her keep her distance.

Then, suddenly, a wash of red light ran over her, and he realized she was Reverting. In that brief instance, however, where he couldn't figure out what she was doing—that was when she leapt at him. Her front paws slammed into his shoulders even as they turned into hands; her legs pinned his even as they smoothed out; and she slashed his face with her fangs even as they shrunk into her humanoid features. Ike shoved her hard, trying to get her off, but she slammed one foot down on his right wrist and managed to pin it. Her sword suddenly whipped out of her belt and she put it at his neck, forcing all her weight down on his wrists and broken ribs to keep him pinned.

_So this is it,_ he thought, and he hoped she would kill him swiftly. But instead, she chose to savor the moment.

"Where's your boyfriend, Eleven?" she purred cruelly. "Still hanging on?"

So long as she was talking, Ike would stay alive, so he snarled in reply; "He's out there now. Ready to kill you."

"Liar!" she said with a grin. "He's nearly dead. I know I got him. You probably have him holed up in some cave somewhere while you try to keep him from going insane. What's in the pretty little backpack? An antidote? Well, sorry, Lover Boy, but he'll never get it."

Ike worked up a mouthful of blood and saliva and spat it in her face. She flushed with rage and slid a dagger out of her belt. "Fine, then!" she snapped, bringing it up to his face. He felt the cold steel tip brushing his lips and clamped his teeth together. "You have a pretty face, you know? Let's remedy that."

But then, just as the dagger slashed open the first cut on Ike's face, carving a scar not unlike Zelgius' across his right eye, Sakira was inexplicably ripped off of him and thrown aside with a shriek. The beorc pushed himself up quickly, one hand covering his wounded eye in pain, unable to process what had happened. Had Zelgius actually appeared to help him? Had the Gamemakers sent some wild animal to add to the fun?

But as he got up, he saw it was none of those.

Mia had a fire burning in her eyes, and she was holding Sakira by the throat, the Lion's feet dragging just on the ground. Her hair was matted with blood, and her teeth were gritted as she tightened her grip. Her sword had disappeared; Sakira's weapons had dropped and she struggled to loosen the beorc's grip, gasping for air.

"Mia?" Ike asked, surprised.

The girl snarled and threw Sakira aside, hard. She yelped and tried to land on her feet, but instead slammed awkwardly into the ground and rolled all the way to hit the sharp edge of the table hard. There was a gory tearing sound and she cried out in pain. She struggled to get up.

Mia turned and saw the boy's expression. "Are you really that surprised?" she asked sadly.

Ike got up shakily, wiping some of the blood off his face. "Well...yes, I suppose. I thought you...called off the truce."

She briefly closed her eyes, and coughed; Ike immediately realized she was trying not to cry. "I did...didn't I..?" Then she hurried over to the table, grabbed the green pack labeled '11', and slung it over her shoulder.

The girl seemed content to let the conversation end there, but Ike wasn't. "Why'd you help me?"

She smiled faintly. "I...it was a favor. For a friend."

"But...you didn't want that. You didn't want to help me."

"...Should I not have?" She picked up the small black pack and tossed it to Ike; the beorc caught it easily. "Go on. Get out of here!"

"What about Sakira?"

She got up with a small moan, clutching the wound at her side where it slammed into the sharp edge of the table. "You're _dead,_ bitch!" she screamed angrily.

Mia gritted her teeth and shot one last look at Ike. "...See you later!" Then she sprinted as fast as she could for the cliffs.

Ike didn't pause to wait for Sakira to come after him again. He turned and ran.

He heard her shout after him, but ignored it. Reaching the sheer wall of the cliffside, his bloodied hands unconsciously found their handholds, and as he heard her roar behind him he began to climb.

He didn't know how he'd gotten back up to Zelgius' cave. His ribs hurt with every step, his hands were slick with water and blood, he could hardly see out of his right eye from all the blood that came from it, and his head felt fuzzy and faint; yet somehow, he managed to get back to the cave. He was drenched, covered in mud, wounded in several places, but he was alive.

The Branded boy was awake when he came in. "Ike!" he said as the beorc stumbled in—first angry, then concerned. "Dammit, I told you not to—what happened?"

"Mia and...Sakira." Ike breathed. "But...I...got it." He set down the small pack and opened it wearily, even as Zelgius tried to wipe some of the blood from the beorc's face.

Inside the pack was a small blue bottle, halfway filled. When Ike picked it up, he felt a slightly strange aura coming from it. "Magic?" he asked.

"It's an elixir," Zelgius said, his anger temporarily forgotten for wonder. "They were used in the old days, the time of the Hero Ike. Just a small drink—about a third of this bottle—could cure all of your wounds."

Ike immediately offered it to the Branded. "Here...take it."

"No. You're hurt; you drink first."  
"Take it!"

"Ike, would you do as you're told for just _once?"_

Surrendering, Ike took the bottle and had a tiny sip. Instantly he felt the pain draining from his body, replaced by a feeling of calm. "Oh, that...that feels better..." he mumbled.

All the weariness of the climb down, the fight, the climb up, caught up to him at once, and he dozed off.

The last thing he heard was Zelgius murmur; "Ike...I told you you would betray me..."

* * *

_And here's chapter twelve! The end is coming soon~ (Well, chapter fourteen is the end, I think...unless I write a sequel! It's possible...  
Anyway, very much thanks to LegendarySwordsman for the review! Heh...My meat-adding skills need work ^^; My worst problem is probably my battle scenes...gah...  
And again, reviews are much appreciated, thank you for reading! :3  
_

_~DarkieDucessa_


	13. Chapter 13

_Wow, I am late with the updating. So sorry! I've been busy and very lazy...^^;  
Anyway, the end is almost here...there's about one more chapter left, which I will hopefully remember to upload next week, so please enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated~_

_~DarkieDucessa_

* * *

_**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**_

_**IKE**_

When he woke up the next morning, Zelgius was gone. Ike blinked, not sure if he were seeing things right—but his eyes weren't deceiving him; the Branded boy was nowhere to be seen. The cave was practically empty.

He got up quickly, stumbled over his sword—still lying where he'd dropped it—and nearly banged his head into the wall. He blinked and rubbed his eyes—then realized his problem; he could barely see out of his right eye, and he had almost no depth perception. Cursing quietly under his breath, he stepped out of the cave—

The rain had stopped, and the sun was shining brightly. The trees, the sky, even the gray stone seemed bright and vibrant.  
Zelgius was kneeling beside a sword stuck in the ground, saying something quietly. Hearing Ike, he turned and stood up. "Ike," he began, but almost stumbled on his still-weak legs.

The beorc boy rushed forward, catching Zelgius and supporting him. "Your legs...!" he said in shock. "They're not...You can...!"

"Thus is the power of an elixir," the Branded boy said softly. "You're...you're better, too."

Ike blinked again, then realized that Zelgius was right; his ribs didn't hurt at all, and when he reached up to feel the cuts on his face, they almost weren't there. "Except for my eye...I...I can hardly see anything out of it now." he said quietly.

Zelgius gently touched the still-healing cut that ran through it, causing Ike to shiver. "...Ike...I'm sorry. You got this because of me...I..."

"Shh." Ike said quietly. "It's fine. Everything is fine now."

Words didn't seem right; so he just leaned up to kiss Zelgius gently instead.

Later that day, the rain began again, and the two boys were in the cave once again. It was around midday, and they'd decided to rest and allow themselves to fully heal before setting off—the rain was just further incentive for this, as going outside while it was raining would leave deep and easy-to-follow tracks.

Zelgius was pacing. He wasn't worried about anything in particular; he just wanted to get used to using his legs again, after being unable to stand for so long.

Ike knew this; it still put him on edge. "You're starting to stress me out," he said. An unintentional irritated edge had crept into his voice.

Zelgius immediately stopped. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine...er..." Ike sighed. "Never mind."

The Branded boy didn't start again. "...Do you have something you wish to talk about?"  
"Hmm? Why do you ask?"

"You...seem as if you wanted to speak, but didn't."

Ike sighed again. "I...I just...Zelgius, I'm sorry."

"For...?"

"Yesterday."

"Ah."

There was a long, awkward silence. "I...I'm sorry too." Zelgius finally said.

"...For...?"

"What I said...I...You didn't really betray me. I know you had the best intentions."

"It was still a terrible thing to do. I knew you trusted me, but I still...I broke my promise."

"...Yes...that is true." Zelgius sat down next to Ike, putting an arm around his shoulders. "But...I think I understand why you did it. I know you were only doing it because you were worried for me...so...basically, that you were hurt was my fault. That sort of makes us even..."

"That's one way of looking at it." Ike laughed weakly. "Well...at least no harm came of it, eh?"

"More or less...this time."

There was another long moment of silence. Finally, Ike said "Was anyone in the sky last night?"

"No."

"I wonder what was in the girls' packs..."

"Probably something simple, love. Food, or medicine..."

Ike raised his eyebrows slightly. "...'Love'?"

"...Do you...not like it?" Zelgius queried.

"Oh! Um..." Ike laughed again. "No. I do like it, I mean. Heh."

Zelgius smiled faintly.

_**ZELGIUS**_

_When the rain stops, Ike goes out hunting. I stay behind because, with my legs still weak, I'd probably be more of a hindrance than a help—and besides, he can easier watch his tracks by himself. I would've rather gone with him; this cave is getting unbearably stuffy. I spend my time thinking...endlessly turning over the pin Ike gave me in my hands, wondering about his home, and what it would be like to have a family again. I mean—I did have a family, until recently, but..._

_We hear no cannons in the day, and when we look at the sky at night there are no faces. No one was in the sky last night. Of the twenty-four of us when this began, there are only four left—me, Ike, Mia, and Sakira. Not exactly the lineup I was expecting—or anyone likely was, for that matter._

_Our sleep is quiet and uninterrupted. In the morning, we pack up our equipment and leave the cave together. My legs still feel weaker than I'd like, but otherwise I'm fine._

_Despite the elixir, one of Ike's cuts has turned into a scar—an ugly white and red line across his eye. I hope it will fade—I'd hate for him to be scarred as I was._

_We find food easily—but when we get to the river, we find it reduced to a narrow stream. Ike and I exchange looks; I can see he's thinking the same thing as me._

_"__They're drying out the water sources," I state. "Driving us to the lake."_

_He nods, and blanches. I recall him telling me about that day—Leanne's death, at that same lake. If they could've driven us anywhere else..._

_Delaying will likely only make our situation worse—and the earlier we get there is only to our advantage—so we start following the river downstream. I can see it drying even as we walk—but at a certain point, almost to the lake, it suddenly picks up. I don't know why—but when we step out of the trees and I see the waterfall for the first time, I understand. They want this fight to be cinematic, and a dried-up waterfall is most certainly not that._

_We see no sign of Mia or Sakira. There's no way down to the lake, either—strange. We find a good hiding spot and get set, waiting for one of the others to appear._

_Time passes. The sun goes down, but too early for it to actually be night; the Gamemakers must've decided the finale would be best set at night._

_Ike and I hardly speak; words seem pointless, especially now, when we definitely don't want to be heard._

_Then, suddenly, I hear a rustling in the trees—and Mia suddenly appears. I can tell from her heavy breathing she's been running for a long time._

_She's still running. She runs right past us. She looks terrified; it takes me a moment to realize she's running _from _something, and then I see what that something is—_

_By the Goddess! What the hell are those things!?_

_**IKE**_

They weren't human. But they weren't exactly animals, either. The one in the lead looked like a lion, but its body was twisted, deformed into a terrible half-human monster that looked as if it had died years ago. Black smoke poured from its mouth as it roared, an unnatural and warped sound.

It had glowing red eyes, red fur, and dripped blood from two huge stab wounds in its side. Ike knew in an instant it could only be Skrimir.

And there were others. A half-cat thing with orange fur was the male from District 8. Mangled dark green feathers hung off the battered wings of what had once been Vika Swift.

And—_Oh, Goddess._ A pale, ghostly creature, dripping blood, hair flying in an unseen breeze and wailing softly, like a banshee or unhappy spirit from the old tales. _Leanne._

Ike didn't even pause to think, or try and steady his frantically pounding heart; he turned and ran after Mia.

She seemed to be heading towards the waterfall; why, he couldn't imagine, for after all, there was no way down—

He came out of the sparse forest in time to see Mia leap right over the river and clamber up one of the boulders. In an instant he realized that there were actually ledges up there on the cliff—ledges too high for most of the monsters to climb, though the birds could probably just fly.

But the river was rushing fast, churning up whitewater; too deep and fast to wade through—and Ike realized that Zelgius probably couldn't jump across, with his legs still weak as they were.

He skidded to a stop on the riverbank and turned as Zelgius caught up to him. "What are you doing?" the Branded boy hissed. "Go!"

"I'm not leaving you behind!" Ike said, drawing his sword.

Zelgius sighed in frustration and drew his own weapon, turning with Ike to face the oncoming creatures. "If you die here, love, I'll never forgive you."

"I know."

The thing that had once been Skrimir roared and leapt forward; Ike slashed upward and knocked it back. All of them seemed to have been severely weakened in this undeath, but they didn't stay down after they were hit; Skrimir got right back up, and then had to be knocked away again. The female Cat was next; it stalked on the edge of their range, choosing its moment to pounce. Zelgius swung and hit it in the air, sending it flying back into the monster of the male Raven.

Ike looked about desperately for a way for Zelgius to cross the river. His breath was coming in gasps, and he was trying hard not to think about the things that were trying to kill him—he had the feeling if he did, his mind would simply stop working. And there seemed to be nothing, nowhere to go...unless...

"Zelgius!" he shouted.

The Branded boy kicked the male Heron off of him and replied "What?"

"There are stepping stones in the water!"

Indeed, as Ike had watched, he'd seen dark spots in the speeding water where it had had to curve around the rocks—and recalling when he'd been here before, he knew he'd seen large stones there before, though there seemed to be more water here today, which was why they weren't as visible.

"Go, then!" Zelgius said, slashing at Skrimir as it charged again.

"No, you go first!"

"I'm not going to argue with you over this! Go!" Zelgius took two big steps and pushed Ike towards the river. The beorc boy regained his balance easily, but he had to step into the water to catch himself. His foot landed solidly on a stepping stone and he wobbled, but it was high enough not to let the water on top push him around.

His balance was tentative and it was possible he would slip, though, so he quickly hurried across. He'd hardly had time to catch his breath before the female Hawk was hurtling at him; twisting sharply, he slashed the Bird out of the air, sending a cloud of bloody feathers flying around him.

Zelgius started to come across—but when he was almost there, he slipped slightly, and Vika took its chance to attack.

Ike threw his sword into it, sending it flying backwards into the thing that had been Volug, and caught Zelgius' arm, pulling him onto the bank. In a moment they were both running towards the cliff. The monsters were swiftly on their heels. _Don't look back,_ Ike repeated ceaselessly in his head. _Don't look, don't look, don't look..._

As soon as they reached the foot of the cliff, Ike shoved Zelgius up first. The Branded boy knew better than to waste time arguing and clambered up the boulder; the beorc followed right after him, barely scrambling out of the reach of Skrimir's jaws.

Before Zelgius could get up higher, though, Mia leapt from a ledge down at him, trying to shove him off. He blocked her sword with his, but then both were violently torn away as the male Hawk dove in at them, sending both weapons flying onto the ledge above. Ike instinctively lunged for the Hawk, catching hold of its right shoulder; it was small, and he easily threw it away.

Zelgius had caught Mia by the wrists; she tried to wrestle away, but when it came to brute strength, there was no question about who was stronger. But he had to drop her when Sakira landed in the middle of them, snarling, fingernails still glistening a pale green. The glowing numbers on her arm, visible through her torn and battered sleeve, read **01: 01: 42—**Ike faintly wondered how she could've used so much time in just over a day. She might not have had much Transform time, and no room to use it, but she was none the less vicious.

Mia immediately took the opportunity of distraction to slam into Zelgius again, going low to get him in the legs. Ike instinctively dove forward into her, knocking her back, as the Branded boy struggled to regain his balance on the edge.

Sakira darted forward tried to push Zelgius off, but she only gave him a handhold; grabbing onto the Lion's arm, the Branded regained his balance and pushed her back. Her fingernails dug vengefully into his wrist, but she was thrown away all the same.

Mia had dodged around Ike and was trying to climb up the ledge and get to her sword; Ike grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down, even as she tried to turn and kick him. Her foot missed, but her second kick hit him in the knee, and he briefly released her; that gave her enough time to scramble up a little further and grab the sword.

She spun around at Ike, but found her sword's path intercepted by Sakira's arm as she fell back from Zelgius. The Lion shrieked in pain as the blade cut a deep gash in her arm, then kicked out at her, and she wasn't fast enough to dodge; sliding backwards, Mia loosened her hold on the sword. The other three all dove for it; it was Ike who first got his hand on it, but Sakira got both of hers a second later, and they struggled over it.

Mia scrambled to her feet and shoved at them, hoping to knock them both off; Zelgius caught her from behind and threw her aside, and she narrowly managed to catch herself on the ledge. The two monsters that had once been Tiger tributes snarled at her dangling feet; she barely managed to pull herself up before one of them got her leg.

Sakira gave a huge pull, and Ike was dragged in a half-circle by it; still hanging on, he twisted his grip around and elbowed the Lion in the side. Sakira grunted and released one hand on the sword; Ike immediately tried to pull it away, but it slipped out of both their grasps, and Mia managed to snatch it away from both of them. Sakira caught Ike by the arm, and they twisted in each other's grip, both trying to knock the other off balance.

Mia, sword in hand, charged at Zelgius. He ducked her first blow and swept her leg with his; she jumped over it and managed to slash his arm with her second attack. Zelgius grabbed the blade as it swept by, throwing Mia off balance; ignoring the blood streaming from his newest wound, he kicked her in the stomach and threw her backwards again. She barely skidded to a stop on the edge, and struggled to catch her breath as he advanced.

Sakira shoved Ike off of her and kicked the boy in the leg, freeing herself. Ike punched and felt his fist connect satisfactorily with Sakira's face; the Lion snarled and punched back, slamming her knuckles into Ike's stomach. Both slightly winded, they paused for a moment; then, as Mia slashed low at Zelgius and nearly made him lose his balance, the beorc boy spun to help his friend.

Ike made a dive at Mia—but she had anticipated it; stepping to his blind side, she caught him and kicked him in the back of the knee, making it buckle; then she got her arm around his throat in a chokehold and her sword against his chest just as Zelgius turned back on her. Sakira paused—the ledge was narrow, and Mia and her prisoner took up a lot of room; if she made a wrong move now, she might slip off the edge.

There was a lengthy pause, the only sounds being the tributes' heavy breathing and the howling of the monsters below. The Birds seemed to have given up trying to fly up and attack; they all simply waited below to kill whoever might fall.

"Dammit," Mia finally breathed. "This isn't...how I wanted it to go."

"Look...who's...talking..." Ike choked. Her grip on him was tight enough to make him start to suffocate; his lips were already turning blue.

"Let him go," Zelgius said dangerously.

"I...can't. He's the only way I'll ever...defeat you." she replied tiredly.

Sakira took a step forward and growled. "Yes, kill him. Then the half-breed will take you down and I win!"

Mia laughed weakly. "So...If I let him go, he or Zelgius wins; if I kill him, Sakira wins. Is that it? Am _I _the decider now?"

The Branded boy clenched his fists angrily. "In a moment, I'll decide it for you."

"Zelgius...don't..." Ike said weakly, trying to keep the edge of fear out of his voice. "Let...her...kill...me."

For a moment, no one could believe what he'd said. Then they all demanded angrily; "_What!?"_

"Let...her...kill...me!" Ike insisted again. "Then...you'll be...that much...closer...to winning."

"But...you can't _want_ to die." Mia said. "What about _you!?"_

"I...coul...dn't...live...if...Zel...gi...us...was ...dead." he said weakly. His breath was coming shorter now; Mia abruptly loosened her grip a little, and he gasped as the air came to his lungs. "I...wouldn't want to live...if he were gone. Or you, Mia. I...don't want to lose...either of you. To see...you die..."

"Ike..."

Sakira's crimson eyes narrowed. "You are all pathetic," she snarled, drawing their attention. "All _pathetic!_ You would do nothing as she kills you, as she kills your 'friend'!" Her mouth twisted into a cruel smirk. "Or perhaps he was never really a friend, hmm? Maybe you were just using him as your personal whore to get sponso—"

Her words made Zelgius snap back into action. Dashing forward suddenly, he slammed his fist into Sakira's already bruised face, interrupting her; shrieking, she lunged into him, grabbing his arm and trying to drag him off the ledge. He grabbed her wrists and wrestled her back. Mia dragged herself away slightly, and Ike went with her; but there was hardly any room for the Lion and the Branded to fight, and one of them was inevitably going to fall.

Sakira's claw-like fingernails dug into Zelgius' arm, piercing the skin, and then she tried one last shove to knock him off. He took her momentum and swung around, letting her stumble past him; her grip loosened; she cried out again and tried to catch herself, but Zelgius had moved and there was nothing—and she slipped and fell.

Both beorc gasped; then any sound they might've made was overridden by the shrieks and roars of the monsters below, as they set upon their prize. To her credit, Sakira never screamed; there were just the howls of the monsters, a gory ripping sound—and then the cannon.

Mia's grip on Ike loosened slightly, and her breath was slightly panicked now. He used the opportunity to try and pull away, but she remembered fast enough to hold him tight again.

"Release him," Zelgius said, his tone only slightly subdued.

"I...can't." she said. "Don't you see? I can't! If I do...I'll lose my only chance at winning, and..." She sighed deeply. "...I'll leave you two alone as the last ones standing. Neither of you want that!"

"Mia..." Ike said weakly. "Do it...! Let...me...die!"

She suddenly laughed. "By the gods, Ike," she said wearily. "I suppose I...I'm as bad at following orders as you are." She suddenly released him and shoved him forward into Zelgius; the Branded caught him easily, and looked at Mia in surprise.

"Why?" Zelgius asked.

"I'm not going to kill him," she said. "That would mean District Eleven would definitely not get a victor. But I will...fight..._you._ Maybe if I'm lucky, I can kill you—or at least weaken you for him to finish. So have at you, Zelgius. For my family—and his." She raised the sword and pointed it at him.

Zelgius sighed and gently pushed Ike behind him, against the cliff wall. "Zelgius, no...!" Ike said; his strength seemed yet drained from the near-asphyxiation. "Sakira...You might be...poisoned again...!"

"Sorry, love," the Branded replied. "But it seems it's about time for my plan to end."

Then he stepped forward to meet Mia as she lunged for him. He reached up and caught her sword by the blade again; she ducked in low to ram her elbow into his side. He twisted his grip around to throw her off-balance; she dodged back quickly, managing to keep her sword in hand, and darted in low.

Her swing caught him on the hip even as he sidestepped, ripping the cloth and flesh wide open; he ignored the pain and let her stumble on past him, then slammed his elbow into her back. She stumbled even further and landed in a heap on the end of the ledge; she wasn't hanging over the monsters, however, but the seven hundred foot drop to the pristine lake.

Groaning slightly, she flipped back up to her feet and swung her sword up even as Zelgius approached her; he leaned slightly to the side to dodge, caught her by the wrists. She tried to knee him, but he twisted her off-balance; the sword fell loosely from her grip and tumbled down as she slipped on the rocks.

Then part of the ledge gave way.

Zelgius dodged back, letting go of her as a big chunk of stone broke off to fall to the lake far below; they both lost their footing, but Mia fell the wrong way, and only barely managed to grab a rock further down by her fingernails. Zelgius caught himself, hanging half-on half-off the ledge; he rolled himself back onto the ledge with a slight moan as the gash in his hip tore open further.

Ike, having regained himself, rushed to them. Seeing that Zelgius was more or less safe, he went to the girl. "Mia!"

She glanced down at the water far below; hitting it from this far up would kill her. Dangling from bloodied fingertips, she looked up and smiled weakly at the other beorc. "Sorry, Ike. Win for me, would you?"

He tried to reach for her, but she was beyond him. "Mia...!"

"I actually miss Eleven," she said with a faint laugh. "I had so many things I wanted to do, and never had the courage to get around to. And now it's too late...I'm going to die, and...you've been claimed by someone else. Curse me and my cowardice...!"

Ike inched further off the edge, stretching as far as he could; his fingers just barely brushed hers. "Reach!" he cried. "You can make it!"

"No." Her voice was final. "This is the end. It has to be."

"Mia, no...!" He tried to reach further, but he was as far as he could go. His heart was pounding as he desperately struggled to catch her hand. "No...!"

She looked up at him; tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Ah...I'd hoped to see the stars with you, Ike...just one more time. Another regret..." Her voice choked up as she slipped a little further. "Mother...Ilyana, Edward...goodbye...I'm so sorry..."

Then her grip gave way, and she fell. She didn't scream, but Ike did;

"MIA!"

She was already gone. The sound of the cannon seemed to echo forever in Ike's ears.

Zelgius got up weakly, even as Ike stumbled away from the ledge in shock.

Mia was gone. The lake below was now stained with her blood, just as it had been stained with Leanne's. He'd prayed once that there would be some way for her to survive, some way for them both to go home together, but—

It had been a foolish hope. There could only be one victor. He'd known that when he volunteered. He looked down blankly at his hand; blood from her fingertips was on his own—the only part of her that he had left now...

He was beginning to understand what Shinon and Micaiah and Titania must've felt like when they won. No sense of triumph at all. Just...sadness.

"Ike."

Zelgius' quiet word snapped Ike out of his thoughts, and he turned. "We're the only ones left," the Branded stated.

His words hit Ike harder than any weapon could have. That was right. They were the last two tributes—which meant that one of them had to die.

_I suppose this is the end,_ he thought. And he was ready for it. He had been from the moment he went to the feast.

So now, he closed his eyes. "Do it quickly."

Zelgius blinked. "What?"

"I'm not going to kill you. I was never going to kill you. So you'll have to kill me instead."

"I won't."

Ike opened his eyes. This time it was his turn to ask "What?"

"I won't kill you." Zelgius repeated. "I would never do that."

"But...but..."

"Ike..." The Branded smiled sadly. "I love you. I would never hurt you."

The beorc could barely believe what he was hearing. _So much for your stupid 'yes or no' questions,_ he scolded himself. _He wouldn't hurt you! Just as—_

"Well, I won't hurt you either." he said.

"You don't have to." Zelgius looked over the edge, down at the grassy field and pristine lake below.

Ike knew immediately what he was thinking of. His heart skipped a beat. "No. Zelgius, don't!"

"If it is the only way that you will get out alive, then I will do it."

"No!" Ike lunged forward and grabbed Zelgius by the sleeve. "I've already lost Mia, and Kita and Leanne...I can't lose you too!"

"This was my plan all along." the Branded said softly. He unzipped his jacket partway and pulled out the Yune pin that Ike had given him what seemed like an eternity ago, studying it thoughtfully. "Never to win. To keep my sister alive until we were the last, and then...and then kill myself, so she would be the victor."

This was even harder to hear than earlier. "_What!?"_

"Yes!" Zelgius laughed, a slightly psychotic edge in his voice. "Yes, that's what it was all for! To keep her alive! But since she died, the only one I've cared about is you, so I will do _anything _to let you survive this!"

"You can't!" Ike cried.

"I have to." he said firmly. He put the pin in Ike's hand. "Otherwise, the Games will not have a victor."

"No...no! You can't die! Not like this!" Ike protested frantically. "I won't let you!"

"And if you don't, then what?" Zelgius demanded. "Will we try to kill the monsters back there, try to survive all the Gamemakers' traps? Live here until we're both killed and eaten by something even worse, or until Sakira's poison finishes me off?"

"We could find a way—"

"Dammit, Ike, you know that isn't possible! There _is_ no other way!"

"Please—Let me die in your place!" What he'd spoken had been unexpected by both of them, but Ike meant every word of it. He turned his hand over, let the pin fall back into Zelgius' hand. "I'll jump, and you can win!"

_"__No!"_ Zelgius shouted, so forcefully it almost caused Ike to take a step back. "Ike, don't you understand!? You have a family to take care of! Two families, now—you have to protect Mia's as well as your own! I have _nothing!_ Kita was all I had left, and she's _dead!_ I want nothing more than to rid the world of my worthless existence!"

"You aren't worthless!" Ike shouted back, angrily. "You're worth more to me than anything or anyone I've ever known, and I _won't_ let you die!"

Zelgius sighed in frustration. "Why, Ike!?" he demanded. "Why can't you just let this happen!?"

Ike moved closer, staring deep into the Branded's piercing green eyes. His hand closed over the pin and Zelgius'. "Because...If I let you die..." he said carefully. "Then I will die. Inside. Every second of every day, I will be dying because I will be trapped in this arena, trying to save you, and I _won't be able to._"

A tear trickled down Zelgius' cheek, and he looked down at the ground. "What choice do we have?" he said quietly. "The Games must have a victor."

And in that instant, Ike had an idea.

"No. They don't."

Zelgius looked back up in surprise. Ike's eyes had hardened in determination, his mouth set in a firm line even as he spoke again; "Why should they?"

And the Branded knew then exactly what the beorc was thinking.

"You're going to jump with me."

"Yes."

"...Both of us dying won't help anything."

"It's better than one of us surviving with the other's blood on their hands."

"Ike..."

The beorc met his eyes firmly. "Please, Zelgius. I'd rather die with you here, today, than die of heartbreak tomorrow. I _know_ you feel the same."

The Branded managed a weak smile. "...I suppose I have no choice, do I?"

Ike couldn't resist a small smile as well. "No. Not really."

Zelgius suddenly leaned down, kissing Ike on the mouth. The beorc welcomed it, pulling himself closer and kissing back with every last bit of passion he had. The world seemed to blur out around them, and they wanted nothing more than for it to never end.

But that wasn't possible. When they finally pulled back, there were tears in both blue and green eyes. Zelgius briefly let go of Ike to put the Yune pin back on his shirt.

"I suppose...this is the end." the beorc said softly.

"No," Zelgius replied. "Death is only the beginning."

Ike smiled.

They both turned to the cliff edge, hands clasped tightly. Ike closed his eyes. "On three." he said. "One."

"Two."

"...Three!"

And they jumped.

_For a moment, he thinks he hears the Capitol anthem blaring, hears Kieran Fergus' voice shouting frantically; "Wait! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the victor of the Two-Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Annual Hunger Games..."_

_What does it mean? Aren't they both going to di—_

_But then the bloodstained water rushes to swallow them, and there is nothing._


	14. Chapter 14

_**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**_

_**XOX**_

_I should be dead._

That was the first thing that went through his mind, as the pure white, windowless, doorless room slowly faded into view. _I should be dead like him._

He briefly wondered if he _was_ dead. Certainly, he felt no pain; and this room was so pure and white it could've been something out of a dream.

He tried to move, but found his arm wouldn't budge. Frowning, he looked down at it—then realized that it was strapped to the bed. A needle attached to a tube was jammed in it, and he could see a pale white liquid being filtered through the tube and into him—some kind of knockout drug, he figured. A brief look about himself, and he realized he was strapped down all over.

Well, it was no wonder. Considering how bent he had been on suicide before, they probably thought he would try something.

They were right. He did want to try something. He wanted to try dragging a knife across his wrists until his red blood made this white room impure and he died to rejoin his beloved, like he should have before.

He didn't know how he'd survived. He recalled the ground, the lake, the vivid blue water rushing to meet him, and then something faint about a hovercraft...perhaps they had grabbed him right before he hit the water, or perhaps the water was Gamemaker-engineered and had supported him. He knew that somehow the Gamemakers had saved him. He wished they hadn't.

He lay there in bed for what seemed like hours. He didn't even bother struggling against the straps; he knew it would be pointless. Instead, he counted out all the ways he could kill himself with common household objects.

A servant girl eventually came in, with some food. She pressed something that raised his bed to a sitting position, then set the tray across his thighs. The tray was so clean it was like a mirror, and he caught a glimpse of his reflection in it.

He hardly seemed different. Same blue hair; same face with lost and distant eyes; same scar—

_Wait. No. My scar is gone._

He blinked in surprise as he registered that. His scars were gone. _How is that possible?_

The Capitol must've done some kind of full-body fix that removed all his injuries and scars, because he didn't feel or see any of his other scars anywhere as he twisted around.

The servant girl pressed something else and he felt the strap around his left arm retract, freeing it. Now he could eat, at least—though the drugs would no doubt knock him out if he tried anything.

She left, and he went to it. His stomach seemed to have shrank, and he wondered how long he'd been out. He got down the small meal, then lay back and contemplated his suicide once again. Eventually, the drugs they were injecting in his system knocked him out.

_**XOX**_

This went on for what seemed like weeks. He ate only one other time, and his head seemed to be in a perpetual twilight of confusion. He could hardly recall what was going on around him, but he did recall the doctor telling him the results of the tests they'd performed;

He had acute stress disorder—enough of it that it was likely to develop into post-traumatic stress. He suffered from nightmares; nightmares about Lion laguz, about falling, about his love dying before his eyes. He seemed to get sad and weak easily, then angry, and spent all his time contemplating suicide. And he couldn't speak. Not a word, even though he'd tried. The doctor diagnosed it as being a result of the same stress that had given him PTSD; nobody knew when or if he would ever speak again.

He didn't recall much after that, other than a woman's voice—not Capitol but with a lower-district accent—shouting, angry. Defending him from something he couldn't see.

_**XOX**_

Then, finally, he woke up to find that nothing was plugged into his arm any more. A pair of servants unstrapped him and stood guard as he got dressed—apparently, the Gamemakers were still wary that he would try to commit suicide. He wished he could.

As he got dressed, he confirmed that all of his scars were gone—not just the ones gotten in the Arena, but ones gotten over a lifetime of hard work and harsh punishments. His skin looked like satin. He felt slightly unnerved, but the blank emotion that filled him quickly overrode it.

He dressed in the simple shirt and pants—the same kind of clothes he'd worn into the Arena—and then the two servants opened the door, and his team rushed in to greet him.

His stylist ran straight to him. "How are you feeling?"

He said nothing. He couldn't.

Then his escort stepped forward cheerfully and said "Congratulations, Ike! You won!"

And suddenly, he couldn't stop the tears, and broke down into sobs.

_**XOX**_

Of course, Shinon and Aimee and Lyn congratulated Ike on his victory, but they could all sense that he would rather have lost. They brought him to a good dinner, the first one he'd had in a while. He had a permanent escort of two Peacekeepers that kept a close eye on him, and got twitchy every time he picked up a knife. He seriously considered using it on himself, slash his wrists, but he decided to wait for now. The time would come when he wasn't watched as closely...

He did notice that Shinon wasn't particularly cheerful, despite the fact that Ike was the first tribute he'd mentored that had won. He wondered why.

Before he had time to contemplate it, however, Lyn swept him off to get ready for the stage. Wil, Florina, and Ninian all greeted him ecstatically, but he wasn't in the mood for their cheerfulness. Roy was a little more subdued, as if he sensed Ike's reluctance.

Then they took him to his room, to get him dressed. Roy distracted the two Peacekeepers outside so they wouldn't bother anybody, and while Lyn went off to get his costume, her prep team went to work. Ike took a shower, and then they cut his hair and nails. They chattered continuously, which was fine, since he couldn't speak anyway—at least they had the tact not to talk much about Mia, or Leanne, or the District 12 tributes. They did like talking about the double suicide, though they never mentioned why or how the Gamemakers had let Ike survive, unfortunately.

Then Lyn returned with his clothes—yet another of the Hero Ike's outfits; a different take on the ranger tunic. Apparently she hadn't given up on the Boy of Blue Flames just yet.

He barely noticed his appearance in the mirror. He was only wondering if he could shatter it and cut his wrists with the broken pieces of his reflection. Wondered how his blood would look, spattered red on the glass.

But Lyn seemed so happy, and suddenly, he didn't want to ruin her moment. This was her first Hunger Games and she'd successfully styled a tribute to victory—for without her inspiration, he would likely never have gotten sponsors, and the Games may have gone very differently—and Ike didn't have the heart to hurt her.

They took the elevator to the level where Ike had been trained. It was customary for the victor and his or her support team to rise from beneath the stage—first the prep team, followed by the escort, the stylist(or stylist_s_, as in this case, when they'd worked on both tributes together), the mentor, and finally the victor. For some reason, however, they'd changed things a little; Ike had a completely different, brand-new metal plate that would transport him up to the stage.

Lyn and the prep team disappeared to get their own outfits; Ike waited in silence. He jumped when he heard a noise, and turned.

"Just me." Shinon said. Ike relaxed. "How're you feeling?"

The beorc boy shrugged slightly. His mentor sighed. "Still not talking, I see."

Ike shrugged again.

"...I suppose I'm off, then." Shinon mumbled. "I'll go get a drink, or something."

Ike frowned quizzically. His eyes read, _Why would you be drinking at a time like this?_

Shinon guessed what he meant. "...If I'm drunk enough, I won't notice Oscar's there," he said bluntly. "Good luck." Then he disappeared.

Ike was still puzzled. _What is it that happened between Oscar and him...?_

He was startled out of those thoughts by the Capitol anthem, playing somewhere overhead; then he heard the muffled sound of Oscar Osûka, greeting the audience. He couldn't make out any of the words, but he knew what was going on all the same—he'd seen enough Games for that.

There was the crowd's applause as the prep team was presented. Then Aimee was introduced. How long she'd waited for that moment. _At least _somebody_around here is getting what they want._

Lyn and Roy received huge cheers—they'd been brilliant, of course, and he figured the Capitol audience just loved the idea of a genius mother-son styling team.

Shinon's appearance brought a round of applause, but Ike could've sworn he heard Oscar coughing nervously over his words. _So, Oscar knows something about it too,_ he thought.

Then he suddenly felt the plate moving, and he was being lifted onto the stage.

Blinding lights. Deafening roars. Oscar announcing his name. He couldn't see anything for a moment, and then the audience was in view, and he _could_ see, and—

His heart stopped.

Then it pounded once. Twice. Three times, and going faster.

Ike thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He thought perhaps his PTSD was affecting how he interpreted his vision. He thought he was dying.

Because a man stood not ten feet away from him—so clean and healthy and beautiful, his eyes expressing the same shock that Ike was feeling himself—and then he said something, a single word;

"Ike?"

And tears suddenly streamed down Ike's face, because he knew he wasn't dreaming, that somehow, this was all _real_ and this man was actually standing before him, talking, breathing, _alive!_

His voice cracked as he spoke for the first time since the end of the Hunger Games, and cried out the man's name;

"Zelgius!"

And he took three steps forward and flung himself into his love's arms.

_**XOX**_

_**ZELGIUS**_

_I don't want to let go._

_I never want to let him go again._

_I half want to kill Micaiah. How could she let me think he was dead, let me consider taking my life when I thought that the Capitol had saved it even as his was stolen away?_

_I forget about her soon enough. Ike's all that matters. We're kissing in front of the world and nothing else matters at all._

_When the audience has finally calmed down, and Oscar had finally convinced Ike and I to stop clinging to each other long enough to proceed with the show, the two of us sit down in the victor's chair—or, as it is this year for us especially, more of the victor's love seat—and the show begins. It is a three hour long video of this year's Hunger Games, and mandatory viewing for all of Tellius. They flash over the reapings and the interviews fairly quickly; I get the last part of my interview in full, while Ike's and the others are mostly skipped over. Bits of Leanne, Kita, Mia, the Careers. Then the actual Games begin, and I numb myself to the show, unwilling to watch the other tributes die again; I focus more on Ike, the boy curled up next to me, wonder how we could possibly both still be alive._

_Surely the Capitol would've saved only one tribute? One victor; that has always been the norm. But then again, perhaps they didn't want to have a victor bent on killing himself._

_My attention snaps back to the video as I hear Kita's voice, and now I see her death. I notice they cut the shot before Ike gave her the flowers. Because that reeked of rebellion, and there can be none of that._

_But they play up me and Ike. Almost every one of our kisses is shown, and several of our tender moments; the whole thing is shaped up as a grand romance, and all the things that feel more important are passed over with barely a shot. Such are how our Games will always be presented..._

_The video finally nears its end. I see Sakira fall, see Mia fall, but I feel as if I am watching different people than them._

_Then there is the two of us on the cliff. The entire scene is played in full, cut and scored to make it seem as tragically romantic as possible. It almost seems like something out of a fairy tale, or at least a fantasy._

_Then comes the moment when we jumped. I see the fall all over again, see the bloody waters rushing to meet me, wonder vaguely how the Capitol had gotten a camera angle like that—_

_The water fills the screen, and for a moment I don't understand it—and then, as I see the water catch us gracefully, as I hear Kieran Fergus' voice again, I know how we survived. The water was Gamemaker engineered and somehow prevented us from dying from the fall...but the shock of hitting it knocked us both out, which is why neither of us remembered surviving. I know this means that Mia should've survived her fall as well, but perhaps they can turn it on or off at will._

_I still don't understand _why.

_The anthem starts playing at the end, and we rise as President Lehran himself takes the stage, followed by a little girl carrying a cushion that holds the crown. The crowd gets confused—there is only one crown, who will he give it to?—until President Lehran gives it a twist and separates it into two halves. He puts the first on Ike with a smile. He is still smiling when he settles the second on my head, but as I look at his eyes, I can see the deep sadness hidden there, and pain—and coldness._

_For some reason, those eyes make me angry._

_Much bowing and cheering follows. I'm relieved when I finally get to retreat from the stage; however, I don't get to spend much time with Ike before we are both whisked to the president's mansion for the Victory Banquet. I introduce Ike to Micaiah, Sothe, and the rest of my support team; other than that, the evening sort of fades into a blur of wealthy Capitol faces and ecstatic sponsors coming to greet us. I hear the word 'congratulations' so much I begin to wish I will never hear it again._

_Actually, I _would _be happy never to hear that. To never hear a young man be congratulated for the deaths of twenty-two other children. If only there was a way to end it..._

_Me and Ike and our teams escape back to the Training Center well after midnight. Ike is sent to bed early by his mentor; Micaiah tells me to go back to the twelfth floor, but I sneak back to Ike's room after she's asleep. I'd half-expected for her to lock the door, but it's open._

_He's already asleep when I get there, one arm hanging over the left side. Not wanting to disturb him, I lie down next to him and gently wrap an arm around him; he mumbles in his sleep and rolls over, nestling himself closer to me._

_I drift off before I'm even aware I'm sleepy. I have no dreams—or nightmares._

**_XOX_**

_**IKE**_

The next day, Ike woke up on his own to find himself curled up with Zelgius. He didn't even wonder or care how the Branded had got there; he was just glad that he _was _there.

A few minutes later, Zelgius woke up. He looked into Ike's eyes and smiled. "Good morning, love." he said softly.

Ike's smile was brighter than Zelgius had ever seen it before. "Yes. Yes, it is," he replied faintly, and leaned in to kiss him.

_**XOX**_

They had breakfast together; surprisingly, Lyn didn't even bat an eyelash when they both came out of Ike's room. Aimee was too busy talking to notice. And Ike discovered that the District Twelve prep team was about the same as Eleven's; the teams shared breakfast, and the two victors listened to the six of them chatter endlessly about the Games throughout the entire meal, before Lyn, Roy, and Elincia appeared again to shoo them out.

The outfits were more old-style clothes; a blue tunic for Ike, a dark green tunic for Zelgius. The interview would take place just down the hall, in the sitting room.

Ike bumped into Micaiah and Shinon just outside of the room, arguing. "I'm telling you, I can't face him sober!" Shinon protested. "I'm sure you can handle it yourself!"

"You are _not _hiding this out!" the silver-haired woman insisted. "I've worked too long and too hard for this for you to chicken out now!"

"...What's going on?" Ike asked.

Both mentors stopped talking. "Nothing," Shinon said quickly. Micaiah glared at him, but said nothing.

"...Shinon..." Ike said quietly, "...did something happen...between you and Oscar?"

The man blinked. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." he said quickly.

"Just tell him," Micaiah said.

"No, I'd really rather not." the man replied.

The silver-haired woman sighed in frustration and pointed at the door. "Shinon Gautier! If you don't go in that room and face him and stop_running_, I _will_ announce it to everyone on live TV!"

"You can't! The Gamemakers would never allow it!"

"To hell with them!"

Ike stared at them blankly, confused. Then Roy poked his head out of the door. "Uh, guys?" he said, interrupting the mentors' argument. "The interview's supposed to start soon. You done yet?"

"_Yes,"_ Shinon growled, ignoring Micaiah's frustrated glare.

Roy didn't notice her expression. "Okay, then! Come on, Ike!" He grabbed the beorc boy's arm and dragged him inside.

Oscar caught a glance of Shinon as the door swung shut, and frowned—then quickly shook it off, returning to his trademark smile. Ike didn't fail to notice, however; and judging by Zelgius' expression, he hadn't either.

_**XOX**_

The interview finally began. Oscar was as wonderful as always; Ike just tried to speak as little as possible. Once he might've felt up to this, but today he let Oscar and Zelgius do the talking.

But eventually, Oscar had to pose him questions that required more substantial answers. He did ask Ike about his PTSD, and he did go easy on him because of it, but half the time Ike was just speaking without thinking about it—not exactly a good thing, but fortunately nothing bad or incriminating came out.

At one point, Oscar asked; "So, Ike... What were your thoughts when Zelgius first kissed you, in that cave?"

Ike thought briefly. "...I was surprised, at first." he replied softly. "I couldn't believe that...I was the one he liked, that he had...chosen me. I was truly...happy."

There were audible sighs from the people in the room.

More questions, more talking. Eventually it came to the end;

"Ike...everybody's wondering this, so I have to ask. When you and Zelgius jumped together...What was going through your mind then?"

Ike knew exactly what he'd been thinking; that perhaps, if they both died, then the Gamemakers would be denied their victor, and in death he would've made one last rebellion against the people that had killed his friends. And then he wouldn't have to live without Zelgius. But if he said all of that here, he was sure he or his family would meet with a little 'accident'; so instead, he spoke the half truth;

"Well, I...I didn't want to go on without him. Like I said in the Arena. I would've...died inside. When I thought he was dead, before the show yesterday...I was already contemplating suicide." He turned to look into Zelgius' eyes and smiled. "I think I'm more glad...that he's alive. That we're both alive, and together."

"And what about you, Zelgius?"

"What is there to say?" The Branded reached over and took the beorc's hand. "He saved my life."

"We saved each other." Ike countered.

Aimee got a little teary, among others.

Finally, it was over. Oscar signed off, the cameras cut, and they were free.

_**XOX**_

_**ZELGIUS**_

_The television crew seems to trickle out slower than they should've. Most seem to be fans of me or Ike or both, and ask for autographs while chattering on about the Games._

_They remind me of my prep team. I'm more than glad when they leave._

_One girl with long blue hair and kind sapphire eyes does not congratulate me. I'm grateful for that. "I hope you'll be happy." she says softly._

_I think I recognize her, but where from..._

_Then I remember. She was the Head Gamemaker ten years back, in the Games that Ike's mentor won. She must have come here to supervise the interview. "You're a Gamemaker," I say, and I feel an intense burst of hatred well up inside me. I do my best not to show it._

_She nods slowly. "I have that...that terrible duty, yes."_

_Curious, I feel for her emotions; they are mostly of remorse, and I know she's telling the truth. On an impulse, I ask; "Tell me...Why did the Gamemakers decide to save both of us? Why not just one?"_

_She pauses, then replies in a half-whisper; "We would rather have two happy victors than one lonely, suicidal boy."_

_"__You didn't seem to mind having lonely boys as your victors previously."_

_"__Sad, but true." She sighs, and when she speaks again her voice is so low I'm sure the cameras cannot hear it; "This is the second year in over two hundred that two out of twenty-four children came out of the Arena alive. That still means that five thousand, one hundred and fifty children have died in these atrocities called the Hunger Games."_

_"__Gods, how I despise them..." I cannot stop myself from saying, in an equally low tone._

_She nods slightly, and I feel a sudden kinship with her._

_When she shakes my hand as she leaves, she presses something into my palm. "I and my brother wish you the best of luck, Zelgius Kadohl." she says softly._

_I briefly glance at the object and see it is a folded piece of paper; however, I don't have time to look at it or ask her about it as a woman calls to her; "Ms. Lowell! Your brother's on the phone; he needs your observations on the ecological arrangements for the bipartisan lithographer!"_

_"__Coming, Palla!" She gives me a knowing look and smiles, then quickly hurries away._

**_XOX_**

_Finally, they're all gone. Except for one._

_Micaiah has gotten hold of Oscar and tricked him into lingering; she got my prep team to engage him in conversation—they're all big fans of him—and that has certainly kept him from leaving._

_She eventually enters the room again, dragging a very unwilling Shinon over to Oscar. She shoos off the prep team, says something to them, and then retreats a little._

_Ike glances up from the floor briefly. "Come on," he says, his voice still faint. "Let's talk to her."_

_I don't disagree, and we both go over to Micaiah._

_She glances up as we approach and laughs slightly. "Figured at least one of you would come over to ask."_

_"__What is between those two, exactly?" I ask for Ike, as he gestures towards Oscar and Shinon. They're talking in low voices; Shinon looks nervous, while Oscar seems sad._

_"__Well..." She laughs again. "I blocked all the cameras and microphones, so I suppose there's no harm in telling. You want the full story, or abridged version?"_

_"__Full," Ike says._

_She nods, then begins._

_It turns out, Oscar is not actually Oscar Osûka at all. His name is Oscar Gautier, and he is Shinon's adopted older brother by seven years. He also has two younger brothers, Boyd and Rolf Gautier, and a father that had died ten years ago...shortly after Shinon's Hunger Games._

_Apparently, the Gamemakers have a custom of..._selling _the bodies of their victors. If a victor is considered desirable, they are given as a reward or allowed to be bought for an exorbitant amount of money. If you refuse, someone you love is killed. Micaiah was used that way. The thought of it makes me sick. She became so terrified after the first time she rushed into a marriage with Sothe so it couldn't be done again._

_Shinon had been quite attractive when he was seventeen, and, according to Micaiah, there had already been offers made for him before he'd even left the Arena. But Shinon, when he was informed, wanted nothing to do with it. He publicly denounced the Capitol and the Gamemakers, so angry he'd been._

_And his family had paid the price. Due to his actions, both in and out of the Arena, when he returned home, he found his home had burned down. The Peacekeepers told him that his entire family—his stepfather, Jaster Gautier, and his stepbrothers Oscar, Boyd, and Rolf—had all died in the fire. He was crushed, but with no family left, he couldn't be threatened into serving the Gamemakers—and after he retreated into himself with a bottle, he became less desirable anyway, until no one even remembered._

_But a year after Shinon's Hunger Games had ended, when the reaping came again, Shinon discovered that the old announcer, commentator, and show host had been replaced—by his eldest brother, now with the surname Osûka and denied to have ever been in District Eleven. Oscar had told Micaiah that the Capitol had tortured him, reprogrammed him until he believed that he really was from the Capitol; over the years, he'd remembered his past, with a little help from Micaiah herself._

_Shinon had been shattered by Oscar's reappearance. Just when he'd finally started to get over his family's death, his older brother had appeared as a puppet of the Gamemakers—to serve as a reminder to him and anyone who'd known him what happened when you broke the rules. The pain was too much for him, so he decided he would just never see or hear Oscar again, pretend that he wasn't still alive..._

_Micaiah had learned all this when she stumbled upon Shinon, drunk on his youngest brother's birthday in the middle of his first Hunger Games as a mentor. He, being too senseless to know better, had told her everything; she'd gone and spoken to Oscar; and she'd been trying to get the two of them in a room together ever since._

_"__That's...what they did...so awful," Ike says quietly when she finishes. She nods._

_Words fail me. Nothing seems appropriate after hearing something like that...and it reveals so many things I didn't know._

_Prostituting the tributes? Murder, torture, 'reprogramming'? I knew the Capitol and the Gamemakers were cruel, but I had no idea of the true extent. It seems unfathomable that _anyone _could commit atrocities like that, could ever wish for them to happen—yet I know that someone has, because after all, the Gamemakers' orders came from President Lehran..._

_I feel a sudden intense hatred for the Heron and the Capitol, greater than anything I've ever felt. Something like this cannot be allowed to continue. I don't want anyone to be hurt like that again, yet I seem powerless to prevent it..._

_I realize that Ike and Micaiah have been talking, but they fall silent for a moment. I follow their gazes to Oscar and Shinon. The red-head stares at the ground, ashamed; Oscar puts a hand on his shoulder, says something comforting._

_…__..Perhaps I am imagining it, but I think I see tears on Shinon's cheeks._

_Ike quietly voices my thoughts, and Micaiah smiles sadly. "Yes. This...this is the first time I've ever seen him cry..."_

_The older man(though appearing younger) took a step forward and hugged his stepbrother warmly. "I didn't even think he was capable of emotion," Ike says in a faint voice._

_My mentor laughs. "No, he's not _that_...he simply...hides it very well."_

_They start talking again; Oscar and Shinon are hugging and crying, and seem to be happy. But watching them only makes me angry again._

_The atrocities committed by the Gamemakers cannot be done again. I cannot stand by uselessly and let it be done, with or without my knowledge._

_I cannot allow Ike to be used in the way Micaiah has described. I have no family other than him, and as a victor they cannot hurt him, not publicly—and if anything, he would become a martyr if he died—but he has two families for them to destroy...and somehow, I have the feeling that any marriage between us would not stop the Gamemakers—no, Lehran—from using him. Two victors have denied them their fun; I doubt they will let it happen again._

_I have to stop this. But I don't know how._

_I suddenly realize that the paper the girl put in my hand earlier is still there. Turning slightly so that the others can't see it, I unfold it._

_There is a picture of Yune, similar to the pin that Ike gave me before the Games began. A flame design is drawn around it, and the number 13 is lightly sketched in the background; a few words are handwritten underneath the drawing;_

_"__Every resistance begins with a spark."_

_Underneath the words are two small signatures. I read them carefully and recognize the names; one is the girl I spoke to earlier, and the other..._

_Another Gamemaker. The only one that Micaiah trusts._

_Unintentionally, I smile. Perhaps there _is_ a way I can help to end this, after all._

**_XOX_**

_**IKE**_

And then the two new victors were going home. They said a hurried goodbye to their stylists and prep teams, even though they would see them again soon for their victory tour of the districts.

Zelgius posed a question to Micaiah; "Can we both go back to District Eleven, or do I have to return to Twelve?"

She sighed, slightly melodramatically. "No, I'm afraid you have to go back to Eleven and Twelve all by yourselves."

Ike blinked. "But..." he said, his voice incredibly weak all of a sudden. "I..."

She laughed suddenly. "Okay, okay! It was a joke. Zelgius can go back to Eleven with you, so long as he doesn't 'mix with the locals', which means he can't leave the Victor's Village, basically. That's what they did with a couple of Dragon laguz victors that got married a while back. ...Stupid laws. I'll work my way around them eventually."

Both of them brightened immediately. "Thank you, Micaiah." Zelgius said.

"My pleasure," she replied. "Seems to be what I do around here, anyway. Mentoring and sorting out families...ah, well. Just a day in the life of Maddy!"

"Eh?" both boys asked simultaneously.

"Oh, that's what Shinon calls me sometimes," she said casually. "Because of my initials. 'Micaiah Altina Deyan'...'M' 'A' 'D', you see?"

All three of them laughed. "Anyway, got to go." she said cheerfully, seeing Sothe waving her over. "I'll see you later!"

_**XOX**_

And now the train sped away from the Capitol, like a silver arrow into the night. The next morning they would get to District Eleven, and go to their new home. Ike's family would move in with him and Zelgius—they would share the same house, since Zelgius would technically still be part of District Twelve and his house would be in the Victor's Village there. He would have to introduce Zelgius to his family, and he would have to make sure Mia's family was alright...

He wasn't really worrying about any of that at the moment, though. He was much more content to just look out the window, and watch the trees flying by, and let his mind wander to unimportant things.

The Hunger Games were over. Somehow, he and Zelgius had escaped the Arena together, had survived the post-Games shows, and were going home.

Everything felt like a dream. Like it was unreal—it _couldn't_ be real, it was too _perfect._ He'd defeated the bad guys and escaped unscathed...

Not entirely unscathed. He still remembered everyone he'd left behind in that Arena—Leanne, Kita, Mia—even Volug, who he realized now had actually been a sort of friend, even if Ike hadn't known it, to the end. Ike's voice still seemed weak, and he still had problems speaking—to be honest, he didn't know if it was actually PTSD, or if the Capitol had done something to him so he wouldn't be able to speak out, like his mentor apparently had.

But still, he was hopeful. He believed that, perhaps somehow, things really could be 'alright' again—more or less. In the twisted world of the Hunger Games, nothing was ever truly alright.

"Ike?"

He looked over and smiled as his lover came to join him. "Zelgius."

The Branded put a hand on Ike's arm. "It's late. You should get some rest."

"I know." The beorc sighed slightly, reaching up to touch Zelgius' hand. "I'll go to bed soon. I was just...thinking. About...District Eleven, and...the Hunger Games."

Zelgius wrapped his arm around Ike's shoulders. "Someday, love." he said, so softly the cameras and microphones couldn't pick it up. "Someday the Hunger Games will be gone. And I will do everything I can to make sure that day comes soon."

Ike's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "What? But...how..."

"Ssh." Zelgius tapped a finger against his lips. "We'll talk about that some other time, love." He leaned in and kissed Ike gently on the mouth. "Later."

"Mmm..." Ike turned and wrapped his arms around Zelgius, kissing him back warmly. "If you say so..."

"Come on."

And they went back. And Ike thought;

_Yes...Someday, they will be gone. Someday, you will end them._

_And I will use all my power to help you do so._

* * *

_Ah, it's finally ended! Unless I write a sequel...Possible, probably unlikely, eh, whatever. :3  
The Oscar and Shinon subplot finally ended...For some reason, that was in my mind the entire time I was writing this, but I have no idea where it came from, and I wonder if my foreshadowing worked at all or if it was just weird...^^;  
Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always appreciated! :D  
(And we'll see later about the sequel thing~)  
_

_~DarkieDucessa_


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